FOOD & DRINK
COOK'S EDGE For Adam Sweet, his introduction to handcrafted Japanese knives has changed his outlook on cooking. As he explains, a good knife not only improves the precision in your cooking, it changes the way your food tastes. The By Clara Deacon Photos Evan Ceretti
Originally from Fredericton, NB, Adam is a classically trained chef who has worked in the restaurant industry across Canada for more than 17 years. After moving back east from Calgary, he opened up The Cook’s Edge, a store that specializes in selling and sharpening hand-forged Japanese knives, in 2015. “I saw that there was a vibrant food scene here in PEI, but there was limited access to the tools and knives that the chefs needed,” he says. What is so special about Japanese knives? Adam says they are the best knives money can buy. “ They are made from extremely hard steel that can be sharpened to a fine edge and stay much sharper for longer than other types of knives.” Among his most popular knife types are the gyuto, the santoku and the bunka. The gyuto is a multipurpose chef’s knife, which is also great for carving meat. The santoku is a common knife shape found in most households that can be used for slicing,
mincing and dicing. The bunka knife is mainly used for cutting vegetables and has a pointy tip that allows for a perfect dice. The good news is, these knives are not only for professionals, they are for home cooks too. The Cook’s Edge clientele is pretty evenly split between the two. They also offer a number of other products, including mandolins, peelers, whisks and more. “ I only carry products that I have used and would personally recommend. I enjoy assisting people in finding the perfect knife or kitchen tool that they are looking for,” he says. The key to maintaining a Japanese knife is keeping it sharp. To this end, The Cook’s Edge offers sharpening services as well as instructional classes for those who have purchased knife sharpening supplies and want to learn to do it themselves. In February of this year, Adam took a trip to Japan to create partnerships and meet new knife makers for sourcing and expanding his product line.
“It was amazing to spend time in Sakai, where there is such a rich history of knife making, dating back 600 years,” he says. “Because of this trip, I now have access to rarer and more specialty knives. I would love to continue growing and offering more amazing products to my customers.” Some of the Japanese blacksmiths and knife companies The Cook’s Edge is proud to carry at the shop and work with include: Shosui Takeda, Sakai Kikumori, Yoshikazu Tanaka, Takeshi Saji, Yu Kurosaki, Sakai Takayuki, Yoshimi Kato, Yamawaki Cutlery, Sukenari, Masamoto, Nigara Hamono, and Shigeki Tanaka, with plans on adding more to the lineup.
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