Japan
Year/Era
Unknown
Blade Width
Approximately 29mm
Purpose:
Like a Yanagiba knife, Fuguhiki comes with a narrower height and thinner ground that enables skinny slices. Fuguhiki comes from the Japanese term “fugu,” which means blowfish or pufferfish. This unique Japanese knife is the perfect tool to serve Sashimi due to its ability to produce transparent slices of Fugu.
Fuguhiki has a thin and flexible broad blade about 15cm long. It is the go-to Japanese knife of Tessa (blowfish Sashimi) chefs for its excellent slicing performance. Pufferfishes are considered a luxury in Japan, and it requires a specialized Japanese Fuguhiki knife. In fact, Fuguhiki is the only legal Japanese knife a chef can use to serve a Tessa.
Aside from accurate and transparent Fugu slices, you can also use a Fuguhiki knife to serve smaller fishes.
Tips When Using the ‘Fuguhiki’
Usuzukuri is a Japanese term that means thinly sliced and is the best technique to use with Fuguhiki. This knife technique allows paper-thin fish cuts, perfect for fishes served in a well-presented manner.
Slicing pufferfishes in an extremely thin manner requires a knife like Fuguhiki. However, you need to ensure to store this knife accordingly. To prevent cross-contamination and possible fugu poison, keep Fuguhiki separately from other utensils.
For knife maintenance, keep in mind that handwashing Fuguhiki is the key to avoiding blade damage.