【Reading】かくづくり

【English Name】Kakuzukuri (cube cut)

Kakuzukuri is one of the representative sashimi cutting methods, a technique of cutting fish flesh thickly into cubes or rectangular blocks. As the name "kaku" (angle/square) suggests, it is characterized by being finished so the cross-section is square, often shaped into a near-cube of roughly 1.5–2 cm per side.

This cut suits firm-fleshed fish such as tuna, yellowtail, and amberjack (kanpachi); by giving it thickness, one can firmly savor the texture and umami inherent to the ingredient. Whereas hirazukuri is drawn wide and somewhat thin, kakuzukuri has a sense of volume, and its appeal lies in the flavor that spreads the more one chews.

For the cutting procedure, first cut the saku-prepared flesh into appropriately wide pieces, then insert the knife vertically as well to bring it close to a cube. The knack is said to be not to draw the entire blade through at once but to shape the cross-section with a motion close to push-cutting.

It is also a form familiar as chunks of tuna (butsugiri) at izakaya and on seafood rice bowls, and is a relatively easy cut to adopt at home as well. It suits not only soy sauce and wasabi but also diverse arrangements such as a yukhoe style dressed with sesame oil and salt.