Gift guide
Japanese kitchen tools tend to do one job and do it very well. Many of them have barely changed in generations, which is usually a sign that the design was right the first time. These nine make thoughtful gifts for anyone who cooks, and most of them are just as handsome sitting on an open shelf as they are in use.
1. Donabe
A donabe is a thick clay pot that heats slowly and holds that heat for a long time. It is ideal for simmered dishes, rice and hot pots brought straight to the table. Before the first use most donabe need to be seasoned by cooking a thin rice porridge in them, so include a note with the gift.
2. Suribachi and surikogi
The suribachi is a ceramic bowl with a fine grooved pattern on the inside, and the surikogi is the wooden pestle that goes with it. Together they grind toasted sesame seeds into a fragrant paste in a minute or two, and they handle spices, miso dressings and nut sauces just as easily.
3. Santoku knife
The name is often explained as “three virtues”: slicing, dicing and mincing. A santoku is shorter and lighter than a typical Western chef’s knife, with a flatter edge that suits a push-cut rather than a rocking motion. It is a friendly first good knife for someone with smaller hands.
4. Japanese mandoline
A compact Japanese slicer with a straight, very sharp blade turns cucumbers, radishes and cabbage into paper-thin ribbons for salads and quick pickles. Choose one with interchangeable comb blades for julienne, and always give it with the hand guard.
5. Ceramic or copper grater
The traditional oroshigane is covered in tiny raised teeth. Rubbed in small circles, it turns fresh ginger, daikon and wasabi into a fine, juicy paste instead of stringy shreds. Ceramic versions are easy to clean; copper ones last for decades.
6. Tamagoyaki pan
This small rectangular pan is made for rolled omelets, built up from thin layers of seasoned egg. It is also surprisingly handy for toasting a few nuts, frying a single egg or warming a tortilla.
7. Otoshibuta
An otoshibuta is a wooden drop lid that sits directly on the surface of a simmering dish, slightly smaller than the pot. It keeps vegetables submerged, spreads the liquid evenly and stops delicate pieces from tumbling and breaking apart.
8. Makisu
The bamboo rolling mat is the obvious tool for sushi rolls, but it is equally good for squeezing water from blanched spinach or shaping a rolled omelet while it is still warm. Pick a mat with flat slats on one side and dry it standing up.
9. Chasen
A bamboo matcha whisk has dozens of fine tines carved from a single piece of bamboo. Whisked quickly in a zigzag, it makes a light, frothy bowl of tea that a spoon or milk frother cannot quite match. Pair it with a small tin of matcha and the gift is complete.
