【Reading】かつらむき

【English Name】Katsuramuki

Katsuramuki is one of the representative knife techniques in Japanese cuisine. It is a method of cutting vegetables such as daikon radish or carrot into a cylinder of about 5–10 cm, then peeling thinly and evenly from the outer circumference, finishing it into a single sheet without interruption, as if unrolling a scroll.

The thin, ribbon-like material obtained in this way is often further finely shredded and used as tsuma (garnish) for sashimi, making it an indispensable technique for the delicate plating of Japanese food.

There are several theories about the origin of the name. Known theories include one that it derives from the long, narrow silk cloth called "katsura-obi" used in Noh costumes; one named after the white cloth that the itinerant merchant women "katsura-me," who were active from the Heian to Muromachi periods, wrapped around their heads; and one that holds it shifted from the katsura tree (Cercidiphyllum), whose grain is soft and easy to work.

This technique is also widely used as a practice task for honing the fundamentals of knife handling, and is regarded as one of the important disciplines for those aspiring to become chefs.