Japanese cooking for beginners: The essential utensils

If you are a lover of Japanese food or you are simply interested in learning more about this delicious gastronomy, you are in the right place. In this post, we will introduce you to the main utensils you need to cook different Japanese dishes in your own kitchen!



1. Wok Pan
The wok pan is an essential utensil in Japanese cuisine. It is a round-bottomed pan that is used for sautéing, frying, and high-temperature cooking. The Japanese use it to make famous dishes like yakisoba and Japanese fried rice (chahan). Thanks to its shape and material, the wok distributes heat evenly and allows ingredients to be cooked quickly.



2. Rice Spatula (Shamoji)
The rice fork, or shamoji, is a utensil used to mix and serve cooked rice in Japan. Its flat and wide shape allows you to handle the rice delicately, without crushing it. In addition to being perfect for serving rice, it is also useful for mixing ingredients in salads and other dishes.



3. Santoku Knife
The santoku knife is a Japanese kitchen knife with a broad, sharp blade. It is essential for cutting and chopping vegetables, meat and fish. Its design allows a precise and uniform cut, which is crucial to achieve the aesthetic presentation that the Japanese value so much in their dishes.



4. Mortar and Mallet (Suribachi and Surikogi)
The Japanese mortar and pestle are tools used to grind and mix spices, sauces, and seasonings. The mortar, known as a suribachi, has a rough surface that helps grind ingredients more effectively. The mallet, known as surikogi, is the utensil used to crush and mix the ingredients in the mortar.



5. Soup Spoon (Chirirenge)
Yes, the name is repeated, but in this case, we are talking about the soup spoon, which is different from the rice fork. The Japanese soup spoon has a long handle and a shallow spoon, making it easy to drink the soup and savor all the delicious broths that Japanese cuisine has to offer.

6. Bamboo Mat (Makisu)
The bamboo mat, known as a makisu or sushi mat, is an essential tool for making sushi and maki rolls. It is made of strips of bamboo joined together and covered with cotton thread. The mat helps roll the rice and fish in the nori seaweed, creating the famous sushi rolls.

And there you have it! These are some of the main utensils you will need to cook Japanese dishes at home and enjoy the exquisite and healthy Japanese cuisine. I hope this information has been useful to you and encourages you to try your hand at Japanese cuisine. Until next time and bon appetit!