My favorite kitchen knife the Alaskan Ulu

Quite a few years ago my mother took a trip to Alaska. She returned with gifts for the family members. For my husband and brother-in-law she brought strange little curved blade knives, each sitting in its own wooden stand. She said they were fishing knives.

Neither my husband nor I had any idea what to do with it. It was nothing like the fishing knives he was used to, and frankly, he doesn’t get to fish that often. But it was a sharp little thing, and a little scary looking.

Mom told us you could also use it as a kitchen utility knife. So, I put it in the kitchen knife door, and there it sat, forgotten and abandoned. One day, when trying to make room in our knife drawer, I decided to sit the knife (in its stand) on our kitchen counter.

And there it has sat ever since. It is my favorite knife. It often replaces the food processor and chopper. It is amazingly versatile, dicing vegetables in a snap, and easily slices pizza and cheese. A while back I went to one of those home food gadget parties, and purchased an expensive vegetable chopper. I like my funny knife better.

But the funny knife has a name, it is an Alaskan Ulu. Used by Eskimo women for skinning and cleaning fish, it played an important role in the survival of Arctic people, and today is considered the Eskimo’s primary cutting tool.

I may not be an Eskimo, but I love their Ulu. It is one of those kitchen gadgets that once you have, you don’t want to be without.