【Reading】まないた

【English Name】Cutting board

A manaita (cutting board) is a kitchen tool that serves as a base when cutting ingredients with a knife. In kanji it is also written "俎" or "俎板." It derives from the old word for fish, "na," and is said to mean "a board for preparing real fish (mana)," making it inseparable from the preparation of sushi and sashimi. Footed boards are confirmed from artifacts of the late 4th century, and from the Showa 30s (1955 onward) the flat, legless type became mainstream. Materials are broadly classified as wood, synthetic resin, and synthetic rubber, with hinoki (Japanese cypress), ginkgo, and willow used for wooden ones. Wooden boards are gentle on the blade and can be resurfaced. Polyethylene boards are easy to manage hygienically, and some municipalities require resin boards for commercial use. At sushi shops, large semi-fixed boards are common, and wetting the board before use and using separate boards for different ingredients are considered important for hygiene.