Hey what's up guys thanks for checking back and this time instead of doing
another DIY sushi episode I wanted to talk a little bit about cutting boards
because a quality board is one of the most valuable piece of equipment you
should have in your kitchen and it's just as important as having a good knife
And from my experience I realized many people often overlook this so I want to
make a short video on how to help you guys pick the right board to use.
As a chef using a premium board along with the right knife it's like the perfect
marriage what do I mean by this, well both will complement each other in the
long run, and to make better sense let's start off by defining what are some of
the features of a quality cutting board. So what are they? Well for one it should
have a soft surface similar to that a real wood if not softer, and two it
should have a texture surface so it's non-slip and this way the surface can
grip on to whatever you're cutting and this is especially important when
cutting fish for sushi, and three it should be as nonabsorbent as possible
because this will prevent the growth of bacteria, so a non-porous surface is
essential, and four it should not warp or crack over time and this tends to happen
to wooden boards because wood shrinks and expands throughout its life and
depending on the quality of the design and material, a wooden board can last for
years or only months. And lastly, a five it should be long lasting, a quality
cutting board will last for decades if not a lifetime and still maintain its
original shape and texture.
And when it comes to cutting boards there are several good options to choose
from. There is wood, plastic, and synthetic rubber, now all three have their pros and
cons but there is only one that is superior and meets all the criteria, and
this is the Japanese synthetic rubber. These rubber boards are close replicas
to real wood in terms of softness and texture but even better because this
material is non absorbing and doesn't warp or crack. However because of
their soft design, they're really meant for slicing and light chopping,
dicing so they're not ideal for heavy action like with a butcher knife, or else
you'll end up gouging it and damaging the surface but this is the same for many
wood and plastic boards so it's not a deal breaker.
So now that you know what you look for, let me give you some options. The two
brand that is commonly used by professional Japanese chefs are Asahi and Hasegawa.
Both of these are high-quality Japanese rubber boards that meet all
five criteria mentioned before, however they're very expensive and range from a
couple hundred to several hundred dollars depending on the size you want, but
they're the best especially the Asahi boards. These are cutting boards that
I've used throughout my earlier days as a chef and I can't say enough good things
about them. They're almost magical in a way
because no matter how much they're abused they always seem to self-heal
themselves, they're so durable and yet gentle on your blade at the same time,
however these are pretty dense boards and might be too heavy for some at home
so if you're concerned about the weight my second suggestion is going with the
Hasegawa board and instead of a complete solid rubber structure like the Asahi
this board has a wooden cord inside so it's lighter and easier to handle and
personally right now this is the main cutting board I use in my own kitchen
and the one I have is 35 by 15 inch and weighs about 11.5 pounds and
considering how big it is, it's very light relative to its size and at a
current price of $260, I think it's a real bargain when you factor in all the
benefits that it comes with, like having a rough surface so it can grab on to
whatever I'm working with, and for me I use this for cutting fish for sushi so
it's perfect, and two the synthetic rubber is exceptionally soft and easy on our
your blade, there are times when I can go through several days of cutting before I
even have to hone my knife and if you're accustomed to using Japanese knives
which have thinner blades compared to Western knives, having a soft surface is
even more important, and three since the surface is synthetic rubber there are no
grains/pores for water to absorb into unlike wood, and this nonabsorbent quality is
really important because it prevents bacteria from growing. In fact just to
give you an example how serious this problem can be, places like New York City
have banned wood boards in all commercial kitchens, and four this board will never
warp a crack over time unlike wood or cheap plastic
overall the Hasegawa boy is one of my greatest asset in the kitchen and aside
from all the benefits I just mentioned it's also really easy to take care of too
they can be washed just like any other cutting board, in fact they're also
designed to handle boiling water if you feel the need to sterilize it
and they're also bleach safe - I found that after a couple of months of using it, by
spraying it down with a light mixture of bleach and water, this will remove any
stubborn stains that I can't get off with detergent. Okay guys I really hope
this has been helpful because I think a lot of people, including professionals,
put so much emphasis on choosing a good knife that they forget that a quality
cutting board is just as important, so if you're interested in buying one of these
boards check out MTCkitchen.com. They carry a huge selection of Japanese
restaurant supplies including knives and they also carry both Asahi and Hasegawa
boards in multiple sizes, so if you're in the market for one check out the link below.