【Reading】もりばし

【English Name】Moribashi

The moribashi—whose formal name is manabashi—are dedicated chopsticks indispensable to the Japanese-cuisine kitchen. They are longer than ordinary table chopsticks, reaching about 30–40 cm in total length.

Their origin traces back to the Heian period, when cooks once shaved bamboo themselves to make them. The current mainstream has shifted to a structure in which a metal tip resembling an ice pick is fitted with a wooden handle.

Their main roles are to assist in the breaking down of fish and fowl, and to arrange dishes beautifully. At sushi shops too, they are one of the tools that work daily in delicate steps such as positioning toppings and finishing.

In the tradition of Japanese cuisine, there is a distinction of assigning moribashi (manabashi) when handling seafood and saibashi (cooking chopsticks) for green vegetables. This custom arose for the purpose of avoiding the transfer of odors between ingredients.

The "hochoshiki" (knife ceremony), in which fish is broken down using only manabashi and a knife, is a ritualistic technique handed down from ancient times, and the figure of a knife master is also depicted in the "Shichijuichiban Shokunin Utaawase." To this day, schools such as the Shijo school continue the rite of ritual offering at shrines in various regions.