Kezuriki

A katsuobushi kezuriki, with its blade cover removed and drawer ajar.

Katsuobushi kezuriki (鰹節削り器; かつおぶしけずりき) is a traditional Japanese kitchen utensil, similar to a wood plane or mandoline, used to shave katsuobushi, dried blocks of skipjack tuna (katsuo). A block of katsuobushi is pulled across the blade in a back-and-forth movement, and the resulting thin shavings are captured in a wooden drawer at the bottom of the instrument. The shavings are a staple of Japanese cuisine. Larger, thicker shavings, called kezurikatsuo (削り鰹; はなかつお), are boiled with kombu to make dashi stock. Smaller, thinner shavings, called hanakatsuo (花鰹; はなかつお), are used as a flavoring and topping for many Japanese dishes, such as okonomiyaki. Today, many Japanese households no longer use the katsuobushi kezuriki, opting instead to buy already-shaved packages of hanakatsuo or kezurikikatsuo at supermarkets.