Santoku
The santoku or santoku bōchō ( Japanese 三 徳 包d ; dt. 'Knife of the three virtues') is originally a Japanese blade shape for an all-purpose kitchen knife . It is characteristic of Santoku that the blunt upper edge of the knife forms a line with the handle and the wide blade protrudes far below the handle and thus offers sufficient space for the fingers under the handle. Today santokus are made all over the world.
The origin of the Santoku lies in the changed eating habits in the course of the Meiji restoration . Since the economic miracle after the end of the Second World War , meat has been one of the frequently used foods in addition to fish and vegetables. So the blade shape of a western meat knife was combined with that of a traditional Hōchō . The knife is usually a little lighter than a butcher's knife and is mainly designed for pressure cutting.
The Japanese term "Santoku" (San = three, Toku = virtues), which gives this knife its name, indicates its good properties for cutting meat, fish and vegetables.
