Umami Tool Watch: The Mighty MAC Yanagi Knife

If you've ever tried to prepare sashimi or sushi, you've probably learned pretty quickly that having the right knife makes a huge difference. Even the freshest fish doesn't make great sashimi if it's sliced poorly – you can easily ruin the texture, the look, and the taste of your most important ingredient with the wrong knife. Traditionally in Japan, yanagi knives – very sharp, slender single-beveled blade knives – are used to cut raw fish and soft meats with clean precision. We're big fans of the Japanese-made MAC Yanagi Knife, which is lightweight, ergonomic, but razor-sharp enough to prepare paper thin slices of hirame, melt-in-your-mouth cuts of toro, or bite-sized pieces of beef tataki with ease. Its long 10" blade is forged with molybdenum steel, the same material used for making samurai swords.

You don't have to be a sushi chef to use a MAC Yanagi Knife. Use it to expertly prepare beef carpaccio, Nova Scotia lox, or rare steak for pho. And just imagine slicing that holiday ham with one of these bad boys. Lookin' sharp, real sharp!