12 Cooking Tips You’d Wish You Learnt Sooner

We’ve done some research and come up with 13 cooking tips that will help any cook. Some of which you’d wish you learnt sooner. 1. Roast your veggies without having to flip them  This is a really simple yet useful tip. Before you start roasting your veggies, pre-heat the pan you’ll use. This means the […]

Best Valentine’s Day Gifts For Your Loved One

Valentine’s day is just around the corner. If you’re one of those couples that give each other gifts, have you chosen a gift yet? If not, you’re in luck here are 10 valentine’s day gift ideas for your S.O. 1. Mini projector for a movie night A mini projector can be a great gift. If […]

Knife Hacks For Perfect Cutting

In today’s post we have selected 5 knife hacks for perfect cutting. Knife hack 1: Use the spine of the knife The spine of the knife is the back of the blade. Although often overlooked, it is very handy for cooking. Use this part of the blade to transfer ingredients from the chopping board to a […]

Wooden Handles: Maple Burl

Before we can go into the details of each wood type, we must identify what makes wooden handles so good. So why opt for wooden handles? Wood is natural material that is warm to the touch, comfortable to hold and long lasting. Therefore, it is no surprise that wood has been widely used as a […]

Best Way To Store Kitchen Knives Around Children

The kitchen is filled with appliances and utensils that can be dangerous to have around children. Kitchen knives are one of the main ones. Therefore, finding the best way to store kitchen knives around children is crucial. Proper knife storage is essential to avoid accidents in the kitchen and care for your knives. Overall, there […]

How To Cut Onions Without Crying

It is a known fact around the world that cutting onions will make you cry. But have you ever stopped and asked yourself why this happens? Why do onions make you cry? Onions are mainly made out of water and have some vitamins and sugar compounds. But they also have compounds contain sulphur. This is […]

12 Things Every Home Cook Should Have In Their Kitchen

With all the countless one-purpose kitchen tools out there it can be hard to identify what are the most essential tools in the kitchen. To make your life easier we’ve created an essential kitchen tools list. These tools have endless uses and are worth the investment. They will elevate your cooking experience and make home […]

10 Christmas Gift Ideas For Him (Inspired By Japan)

Our guide will give you plenty of gift ideas to help you choose the perfect gift for him. Whether you’re searching for something traditional, useful or fun, these Japan inspired gifts will be loved by any man. 1. Sake If you are looking for gift ideas for the man who loves to have a drink […]

10 Christmas Gift Ideas For Her (Inspired By Japan)

With Christmas just around the corner, we have come up with 10 Christmas gift ideas for those special women in your life. Think mothers, sisters, aunts, girlfriends, etc. 1. Kintsugi tableware This is a perfect gift for that elegant woman in your life who loves delicate and timeless things. Not only are kintsugi products beautiful, […]

What Makes Japanese Kitchen Knives So Good?

Japanese knives have become an essential kitchen tool for any chef or home cook. But what exactly is it that makes Japanese knives so good? Are they really better than Western knives? The blade’s hardness There are two ways to make a Japanese knife: honyaki or kasumi. Where, honyaki involves using solid high-carbon steel whilst kasumi forges a […]

11 Best Kitchen Gifts For Christmas

For too long, kitchen gifts have been associated with poor taste, single use products. Think about the numerous novelty aprons and mugs that you’ve been gifted and never used. However, kitchen gifts don’t have to be this way. This is why we have identified 11 kitchen gift ideas that people will actually love. Whether you […]

4 Knife Safety Tips

Here at Oishya, we want to ensure our knives are used safely. This is why we have come up with 4 knife safety tips we recommend you follow. 1. Keep your knives sharp We have stated multiple times that a sharp knife is safer than a dull one. However, we are aware that sharpening a […]

4 Basic Knife Cut Techniques Everyone Should Master

In today’s article we have identified the four basic knife cuts every cook (both beginners and professionals) should know how to do: The slice The chop The back-slice The rock-chop Before we begin, it is important to have the right knives for the job. Our Sakai Kyuba x Oishya knife set consists of three knives […]

How To Cut A Pomegranate Using A Knife

How do you cut a pomegranate using a knife without making a mess? Pomegranate is a beautiful fruit, with shiny red “jewels” called arils inside, containing sweet, juicy nectar that surrounds a white seed in the middle. They are a very tricky fruit to cut. The juice from any broken seeds can stain your clothes, […]

What Japanese Kitchen Knife Is Best For Women?

When it comes to selecting a perfect Japanese knife for women, the truth is, there isn’t a specific Japanese knife type for women. The beauty of these knives is the fact that they can be used by everyone. What determines which type of knife is good for you is the size of your hands and […]

What Japanese Knife To Buy?

Selecting the best Japanese kitchen knife for your needs Is it your first every proper knife? If yes, then go for a gyuto, it’s a multi-purpose knife. Once you feel more confident, you can compliment your set with nakiri (ideal for fruit, veggies) and petty (utility knife, a small knife for all the rest of […]

Japanese Blacksmiths We Work With

Japanese Blacksmiths we work with We work with some of the most talented, Japanese blacksmiths (some of whom are more than 67 years old!) who cultivate their skills from many generations and pass mysterious techniques of knife-making within blacksmith family. Japanese kitchen chef knives aren’t mass market tools, but unique & useful state of art. […]

Santoku Vs. Gyuto – What’s The Difference?

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 […]

FAQs

FAQs Have a look at some our customers’ most frequently asked questions. General About Oishya Our co-founder, Kamila, started Oishya when she was unable to find a quality, affordable Japanese knife for her boyfriend. After searching with no luck through multiple London shops and kanji-filled websites, she decided to go directly to the source and […]

The Ultimate Kitchen Tool Essentials List (Our Top 8)

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 […]

Getting Your First Japanese Kitchen Knife? Read This.

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 […]

Guide: How To Choose Your First Japanese Kitchen Knife

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 […]

15 Best Christmas Gifts For Japan Fans

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, […]

Knife Drawer, Knife Stand or Magnetic Rack – What Is Better?

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 […]

Guide: Kitchen Knife Handle Types And Materials

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 […]

15 Kitchen Tips Every Pro Cook Should Know

Today we’ve gathered for you the best 15 tips from professional chefs for that’ll save you time, money, and a whole lot of trouble. Enjoy! 1. Know your meats After more than five generations in the butcher business, we know that home cooks are baffled when they buy meat. Look for beef with ivory-colored marbling […]

What Is Rockwell Hardness (A.Ka. HRC)?

Whenever possible, our knives are rated for how hard they are with what is called the Rockwell rating or measurement (HRC) of the steel. You may wonder what this rating is and what number is a “good” number for hardness of the knife you want to buy. Things to consider when buying a kitchen knife […]

Different Types Of Kitchen Knives, What They’re Used For

As a dedicated cook or professional chef, it is not unusual to have big sets of more than a dozen different types of kitchen knives in use at once. Is it complicated? It can be. Does it need to be that way? That depends on the amount of time you are willing to spend, and […]

All About Cooking Knives

A coarse, dull cooking knife makes your kitchen efforts wasted and you struggle instead of enjoying the process of cooking. And that is definitely not the best motivation to spend more time with your loved ones, chatting and crafting healthy meals at home. The Basics Of The Chef’s Knives If you’d like to amp up […]

The Most Comprehensive Guide To Japanese Kitchen Knives You’ll Ever Read

As a home cook, you understand the importance of having the right tools in your kitchen. And when it comes to knives, Japanese kitchen knives have garnered a well-deserved reputation for their exceptional craftsmanship, cutting performance, and rich cultural heritage. But with a wide variety of Japanese knife types and styles available, it can be […]