Gift giving in Japan is deeply rooted in tradition with gifts giving. Japanese people do not limit it to social occasions, but put emphasis on social obligations – gifts are given when indebted to others, both family and business. Japan is unique in a sense of putting a big emphasis is on the act of […]
The Japanese island of Okinawa nicknamed the Village of Longevity has residents with the highest life expectancy in the world. They also largely share a devotion to a Japanese philosophy known as ikigai (pronounced Ick-ee-guy), translated in a simple meaning as the happiness derived from being busy at some activity that holds meaning and purpose for […]
Japanese whetstones (also called water stones) – both natural and synthetic – are known for their quick-working qualities, not only for Japanese blades, but also for their Western equivalents. The small particles that do the cutting are loosely bound together in the stone, and so during sharpening with the whetstone, the surface particles are quickly […]
If you don’t own yet any Japanese kitchen knife, the exotic sounding names – gyuto, santoku, nakiri, sujihiki, deba etc. probably don’t ring any bell. Even if you’re a knife expert, familiar with all the different types of steel and different edge grinds, you might not know about the unique names that the Japanese use for their […]
Learning to eat with chopsticks is inevitable if you’re planning to travel to Japan, North, or Southeast Asia. You don’t even need to look that far. With the trendy sushi restaurants all over Europe and America, you’ve probably seen people comfortably eating with the sticks, at least to the level of food landing in their […]
Although the way to store knives on magnetic rack should seem like a no-brainer, it may actually create a lot of confusion to some people. In a wall-mounted knife rack, do the knives go blade pointing up or down? At first it looks like it doesn’t really matter, but does it? There are only so […]
We’ve covered essentials on cutting boards in our last article, but as with everything in life, you can always keep digging and learning more and more specifics which can help you to find the perfect product. Same with such a simple product – one could think – as a chopping board.Some people value good price over quality […]
If you are investing in the kitchen equipment – such as finer knives, then it’s wise to be looking after them by investing in a good chopping board. The cutting board is perhaps the most essential (after knives) tool in your kitchen for meal prep. Picking a chopping board is actually easy once you learn […]
You found the perfect knife to gift a friend or family member. But then you remember an old superstition in which it is bad luck to give a knife as a gift and don’t know what to do. Don’t worry! We have the perfect way to overcome the negative connotations associated with giving a knife […]
You should know by now that having a good kitchen knife is crucial to making cooking a pleasure, not a chore. Quality of food affects our moods and by cooking your own you know what’s put inside. The best knife for you is the one feels great when you hold it in your hand. A […]
Living in a fast-paced environment makes us look at the cooking almost as a chore. And it shouldn’t be this way. Cooking should be a pleasure. Sharing a meal with your friends and loved ones is quality time we unfortunately less and less prioritise. Once you find the time, the least you want to experience […]
There’s a new movement raising around the world. Perhaps you’ve heard of it: Danshari. Its three kanji characters signify, respectively, refusal, disposal and separation. You can simply translate it as cleaning or tidying up, but there are psychological and even religious dimensions, deriving in part from buddhism and yoga, which suggest the disposal of mental, along with […]
Previously we’ve discussed how to best store your sharp knives and other metal objects. We looked at knife drawers, knife blocks and magnetic knife racks. Our verdict was inevitably 100% for the racks. Today, we will discuss on where to hang these amazingly useful kitchen accessories – and there are quite a few ways to utilise them. […]
If you’re you are looking for the list of the best and cheapest kitchen appliances and accessories from Amazon or Ikea – this is not the place. If you’ve ever attempted to purchase cookware for a new kitchen or simply tried to improve the quality of tools in your current kitchen, you’ve probably found that […]
Samurai are legendary warriors and perhaps the most well-known class of people in ancient Japan. They were noble fighters that fought evil (and each other) with their swords and frightening armour. They followed a strict moral code that governed their entire life. The term samurai was originally used to denote the aristocratic warriors (bushi), but […]
In Japan, there is a saying that goes, “In a house made of hiba, mosquitos do not come for 3 years“. To celebrate our new Aomori Hiba cutting boards, we give you a look into the fascinating history and properties of the prized hiba tree.Hiba arborvitae is a member of the cypress family Thujopsis dolabrata that is native to […]
You often ask us: how does a ceramic knife differ from a metal knife and which is better? Is ceramic knife better than a steel knife? The short answer is: it depends on what purpose you want the knife for. The long answer is more complicated. Let’s see which type is victorious in the ulitmate […]
This guide is to help you select the best Japanese knife suitable for your needs. Japanese knives are famous for their beautiful and detailed design, history as well as the cuts they produce. They are often considered an art of their own since most of them are handcrafted. Not without reason, Japanese knives are most […]
With so many shapes, sizes, steels, finishes and handle materials it can be overwhelming knowing what to look for in a Japanese knife. Keep calm and read our helpful guide. Choosing a kitchen knife and right sharpening stones is not as hard you might think, it just seems like it because of all the choices […]
It’s little over a month till Christmas and it’s a high time to look for the gifts for your loved ones. Today we’ve prepared you the ultimate present guide to Japanese and Japan-inspired products for every pocket. 1. Origami Set Origami set, like this Origami Fashion Set, contains 100 sheets of brightly coloured origami paper, […]
Ancient Japanese art of Kintsugi (also known as Kintsukuroi) literally translates as “golden joinery”. Fixing prised and valuable porcelain is nothing short of an art form in Japan. The Japanese have been using lacquering techniques for approximately 9000 years. No wonder why this skill and art form is still valued to this day. In today’s […]
You finally took the plunge and invested in a good knife — or … maybe a few good knives. Your blades deserve a storage place that will keep their edges pristine for as long as possible. If you have small children, you also want to make sure that these sharp as razor knives are out […]
Magnetic knife holders (also called magnetic knife racks or magnetic knife strips) are a great way to keep your knives at the ready and safely out of reach for your little ones. However, they’re also useful for keeping other household items organised and easy to grab. (That is, provided they’re a good amount of metal […]
In today’s article, we’d like to show you a step-by-step guide on the simplest way to fillet a fish using Japanese style knife – Deba. Learn what the best tools for the job are. What will you need: Filleting knife – A knife with a flexible blade allows you to move easily between the flesh and […]
Sujikihi knives The Sujihiki or Subihiki – as some also call them – is the Japanese version of the slicing Western knives. Sujihiki knives are also used for carving. A carving knife is much thinner than a chef’s knife (particularly at the spine) and has a sharper edge than Western versions, enabling it to carve […]
To understand sharpness you must first understand the definition of an edge. An edge is the line of intersection of two surfaces. A highly sharpened edge is one, where the two sides are highly polished to form a very fine edge. Sharpening is the means to that very fine edge. What is sharp and how […]
The eternal problem – how to best store your knives and other tools which you often reach for? When it comes to storing your quality knives, there are few solutions which you may want to consider. There are few main options for storage: knife drawers, knife blocks, magnetic knife holder and blocks. Finding the right […]
Knife Handle Materials While you may already know everything about steel and different blade’s components used in Japanese knives, we thought to also give a quick explanation on how different kitchen knife handles can be, their prons and cons and what price tag they usually carry.While many people think the most important part of a knife […]
Some would say: Don’t teach your grandmother to suck eggs. But before you make any judgement, please understand why Patryk, born and raised in Poland, is on the quest to teach young Japanese generation how to make knives their country is famous for. Blacksmithing is a dying industry. Japan as a country is ageing fast. […]
Before starting Oishya and getting deeper knowledge in knives, myself and Anna almost never sharpened our knives before they were completely unusable (We know! It’s a deadly sin and a huge danger!). We didn’t really see the importance of it and we were just buying new knives out of magazines’ recommended sets. But then we […]
