Hamo no kiri bocho is a traditional Japanese knife used mainly to cut a fish called hamo (鱧, or hamo, kuei). Hamo is considered a high-end and tasty fish in Japanese culinary culture, and the knife used to cut this particular type of fish is called a hamo kiri knife.
The hamo knife is used to cut hamo in the following ways
- Special Shape: Hamo no Kiri knives usually have a special shape. The tip is usually warped and the blade is slightly curved. This allows the cut to conform to the specific bone structure of the hamo.
- Easy to cut into: Hamo have a complex bone structure that is difficult to cut into with a normal knife. The Hamo no Kiri knife is designed to separate the meat from the bones of the fish due to its special shape.
- Suitable for fine work: Hamo pike congeries have fine bones between the meat, requiring fine cuts and processing. The Hamo no Kiri knife is ideal for this kind of fine work.
- Thick blade: The blade is also characterized by its thickness, which increases its strength and allows for a clean cut through the fish.
- Smooth blade edge: The smooth edge of the blade allows the hamo fillet to be cut without damaging the fillet.
Hamo no kiri knives are specialized for specific dishes and ingredients, and thus play a special role different from that of ordinary multi-purpose knives. In terms of traditional techniques and knife manufacturing methods, there can be many variations from region to region.
*This is a translation by a translation tool.