Article 007: Knives, Lacquerware, and the Memory of Hands
Article Summary
This morning, I sharpen my knife.
The dialogue with the whetstone finally finds its rhythm in the afternoon, once I let go of my impatience.
The refreshing clarity of raw vegetables eaten in pleasant weariness.
Vegetable edges that stand clean, made possible by a well-honed blade.
A childhood day, fingers caked in mud, digging for yams.
Red lacquerware, its luster deepened through years of use.
By tending to tools and handling them with care, layers of time accumulate, and past and present resonate together.
Not through explanation, but rising as hand-memory—a day of attentive living.
Categories
Cooking, Summer, Autumn
- I write about moments from Japanese food culture that I have encountered in my daily life.
I hope you will read this with the calm feeling of sitting around glowing embers.
1. Troubling Breadcrumbs
- Tomato, Mizuna, and Yam Salad (with olive oil)
The aroma of coffee ground from beans drifts through the air as I wait for water to boil.
Though clumsy at it, brewing coffee is my task.
My wife is working to slice a five-slice loaf of bread (about 2cm thick) thinner so we can fit ingredients inside.
We could simply order ten-slice bread from the start, but there are no specialty bread shops in our area, so that option doesn't exist for us.
As always, she holds the handle end of the knife between her thumb and forefinger, slicing skillfully to minimize breadcrumbs.
However, lately the breadcrumbs seem to be increasing.
It appears to be time to sharpen the knife again.
I don't want breadcrumbs to keep multiplying, so I immediately immersed myself in blade-sharpening this morning.
For some reason, at first my conversation with the whetstone didn't align well, and the sharpening didn't turn out as I'd hoped.
In my case, the more I rush, the worse things go.
That's my bad habit.
But from the afternoon onward, mysteriously, my breath synchronized with the whetstone, and I achieved sharpening that satisfied me.
Since I'm not accustomed to this work, I became very tired, but I'm wrapped in a pleasant sense of fatigue.
When I feel this kind of tiredness, I crave raw vegetables intensely.
So for dinner, I asked my wife to add a salad dish.
2. Vegetable Cut Surfaces
- Cherry Tomato, Bitter Melon, and Mizuna Salad
When preparing vegetables, I use a well-maintained nakiri knife (vegetable knife).
If you prepare tomatoes—which contain abundant juice—with a dull blade, tomato liquid dirties the plate.
When that happens, the dish doesn't look beautiful.
For me, the sight of vegetable cut surfaces standing cleanly is refreshing to see.
And by using a sharp knife, I don't waste unnecessary force during preparation, which reduces strain on my wrists and hands.
The same applies when I cut yams—using a sharp knife reduces the difficulty of handling them caused by the characteristic sliminess of yams.
Thanks to this, I find myself wanting to use yams in other dishes too.
In my case, especially when muggy heat continues, eating crisp cold dishes softens my mood.
- Yam with Shredded Nori (in a Nazuna-patterned Arita-ware medium bowl)
- Spinach with Bonito Flakes
3. Digging Yams Gets You Muddy, but It's Fun
When I was in elementary school, I have memories of mountain play—being taken by a neighbor to dig yams and gather "mukago" (aerial tubers).
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Mukago (aerial tubers):
Small bulbil that form at the base of yam vine leaves.
They're eaten dry-roasted with salt sprinkled on them, or used as ingredients in rice cooked with vegetables and seasonings.
Digging yams took a very long time and demanded carefulness.
I would get impatient and somehow could never dig all the way to the yam's tip end.
Even so, I still remember the sense of accomplishment from crawling on the ground and digging them up.
And while I was digging, I learned various things from that neighbor.
For example, that there are three types of yams: "jinenjo" (wild yam) dug in mountains, "yamaimo" (cultivated yam) harvested in fields, and "daisho" (water yam), each with different tastes.
Also, that jinenjo's flavor differs depending on the mountain's soil quality, and not all of them are necessarily delicious.
Furthermore, that the best soil for growing delicious jinenjo is sticky soil on north-facing slopes.
How to distinguish vines, that holes dug for yams must always be filled back in (as courtesy to not damage the mountain).
Among other things, I learned never to enter someone else's land without permission.
- Grilled Salmon Fillet
- Sautéed Yam
- Chicken Liver Simmered in Sweet-Salty Sauce
4. Yam Broth (Yamaimo-jiru)
I love "tororo mugi-meshi"—barley rice with plenty of pearled barley, topped with yam broth.
By the way, making yam broth from harvested yams is truly simple.
- Wash the yam thoroughly and peel the skin.
- After peeling, grate the yam into a mortar carefully to avoid injury, and grind it with a pestle.
- Once it's ground to the right consistency, simply add dashi broth little by little to the mortar while continuing to move the pestle.
When I was small, to keep the mortar from moving, I was always made to hold the large mortar firmly, placed on a cloth.
However, as a child, I would inevitably get bored, my grip would loosen, and the mortar would shift.
Each time, my father would scold me: "If you want to eat it, stay focused until the end."
※ CAUTION: Yams contain a compound (calcium oxalate) that may cause severe itching when it contacts skin.
If you have sensitive skin or have experienced itching from yams before, avoid direct skin contact and strongly recommend wearing gloves.
Disclaimer:
This article reflects my personal experiences.
Please handle sharp tools and ingredients with appropriate care.
The author cannot be held responsible for any injuries, skin reactions, or accidents resulting from the information provided.
5. Free Cup
This time, I'll feature a red lacquer free cup.
Size
It's just the right size to hold in one hand.
The height isn't too tall either—a usable shape.
Feel When Held
Because it's finished in a way that lets you feel the wood grain's unevenness beneath the lacquer, this vessel fits comfortably in the hand.
The rim treatment (cloth reinforcement) is also careful, giving a gentle feel against the lips.
Usage Situations
Lacquerware has low thermal conductivity, so it easily maintains the temperature of tea, coffee, black tea, and other beverages, and has easy-to-handle characteristics.
And because I've been using this particular vessel for many years, its overall luster has increased compared to when I purchased it.
Ease of Handling
Even with cold drinks containing ice, the surface doesn't become sticky, making it an easy-to-handle vessel.
I believe that how you handle lacquerware when you first start using it matters.
At first, the lacquer's characteristic scent inevitably becomes noticeable.
If you pour boiling water directly into lacquerware trying to eliminate this scent, you place significant burden on the lacquer itself.
Therefore, to soften the scent, I start with lukewarm water and observe how the vessel responds.
In our home, we wash everyday-use lacquerware with a soft sponge together with other dishes without worry.
I feel that lacquerware responds the more opportunities you have to pick it up and handle it with care.
6. This Time's Summary
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「あらととぐ こがねくろがね くがうるし」
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[Aratotogou koganékourogané kougaouroushi]
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Art, Rat, Tôt, Goût, Coque, Gain, Nos, Cru, Gau, Nez, Cru, Gars, Houille, Urshi.
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La neige s'oublie, la clarté substitue.
Related Links
References
For references, please use the link below.
The references consulted for this article are: 料 01, 器 01, 器 02, 器 03, 工 02.
Audio Data (Sound): 2025_007_ja01
Audio Data (Reading): 2025_007_ja02 (In Progress)
Microsoft Clipchamp: Brigitte, VOICEVOX: 四国めたん
End of Article
- I hope to bring small discoveries and nostalgia to your table.