What Is Santoku and Why It's a Kitchen Essential

You might be wondering what is santoku after seeing that oddly shaped, flat-edged knife sitting in your neighbor's knife block or catching a glimpse of one on a cooking show. It doesn't quite look like the classic curved chef's knife we're all used to, and it's definitely not a cleaver, even though it shares a bit of that boxy DNA. To put it simply, the Santoku is Japan's answer to the multi-purpose kitchen tool, and for many home cooks, it has actually replaced the traditional Western chef's knife entirely. ...

May 5, 2026 · 7 min · Evaristo Nickola