The Latin word cultellus came to our idiom What knife. The term refers to a utensil that is used to cut, consisting of a handle and a sharp metal blade.
Usually the knife has a single sharp edge, which can be smooth or serrated. According to the use to which it will be destined, this instrument may end in tip or not, and have a straight or curved shape.
For example: “I have a fork but a knife is missing: could you get me one?”, “Before preparing the meat, I am going to sharpen the knife”, “With the help of a knife, the man managed to cut the rope and escape”.
The handle of the knife can be made of wood, plastic, bones or other materials. The blade, for its part, is made of stainless steel, ceramic or plastic. There are knives that, due to their characteristics, are considered disposable: they can be used once and then lose their usefulness.
In the kitchen area, it is possible to differentiate between the table knife, the butter knife, the bread knife and others. Knives are not only used to cut the meal: They are also used to remove the parts that are not edible (fat, bones, peels, etc.).
Various trades and professions require the use of these tools. Carpenters, electricians, surgeons, and barbers, to name a few, use knives in their daily work.
It should be noted that knives, finally, are often used as weapon, both by members of a force of security as by criminals or aggressive people in general.
Types of knives used in the kitchen
Although it is not necessary to have a great variety of knives and other utensils to cook rich and varied, nor to eat different dishes, having them helps to move with more ease and dexterity. Let’s see below some of the various types of knives used in the kitchen, both to prepare the dishes and to cut them up and present them:
* chef’s knife: its blade is wide and has an edge of great strength and stability. This utensil is used for many tasks, such as cutting and chopping different foods, which can be vegetable or animal;
* Ham knife: as its name indicates, its main use is focused on cutting ham, but also large pieces of meat. At first glance, its blade is very long and thin, with a smooth edge and a large flexibility;
* Pestle knife: used to remove the bone from the pieces of meat. Its edge is also smooth and its blade, thin;
* steak knife: despite the fact that its blade is thin, it has great rigidity, which allows us to use it to cut different types of roast meats;
* Santoku knife: it has a wide blade and non-stick cavities with the necessary characteristics to fulfill different functions, such as the preparation of plates meat, fish and vegetables;
* vegetable knife: Used to peel and cut many kinds of vegetables and fruits. Its blade is strong and its edge is smooth;
* bread knife: it has a wavy edge and a long but strong blade, ideal for cutting bread with crusts of varying degrees of hardness, as well as certain similar desserts, without deforming them;
* paring knife: its most apparent peculiarity is its short blade, which serves to facilitate its handling when peeling fruits, tubers and vegetables.
Keeping knives in good condition is an easy task but one that many people overlook. First of all, it is necessary to wash them as soon as we stop using them, to prevent the remains of food from drying out and sticking to the edge. A neutral detergent is recommended, without components such as chlorine, as these can deteriorate the steel. It is also important to dry them once washed, so that they do not remain wet for a long time.
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