【Reading】どうおろしがね

【English Name】Copper grater

A copper oroshigane (grater) is a traditional cooking utensil made by hand-raising fine teeth on a single copper plate. In the sushi setting it is used for grating wasabi, ginger, and daikon radish. Because copper is soft, it grates without excessively crushing the fibers and cells of the ingredient, producing a fine, fluffy finish, and it is characterized by being less likely to lose flavor and aroma than stainless steel ones. Wasabi is a plant of the Brassicaceae family, and because its pungent components arise through an enzyme reaction, the quality of the grater directly affects the flavor. The teeth can be re-cut (metate), allowing long-term use, and there are production areas where craftsmen make them by hand, such as the Tsubame-Sanjo region of Niigata Prefecture.