Itamae

Itamae (板前) designates the head chef in Japanese cuisine. In the narrow sense, the term refers to the holder of the highest position in the itaba (板場, kitchen area) of a Japanese restaurant – also called itamoto (板元) in the Kansai region – and in the broader sense, any trained culinary professional in the Japanese kitchen. In the international sushi world, itamae is frequently used as a synonym for the sushi chef behind the counter; in Japanese usage, the meaning is wider and encompasses all disciplines of Japanese cuisine. The abbreviated form of address ita-san (板さん) is common in all regions.¹

The word combines ita (板, board) and mae (前, in front of). Ita stands for manaita (俎板 / 真魚板), the traditional Japanese cutting board – the kanji 真魚板 (literally “board for real fish”) attest to the connection with fish butchery. Itamae originally referred to the place in front of the cutting board, then to the person standing there, and finally to the profession itself.²

→ Main article: itamae – itaba hierarchy, training path, distinction from sushi shokunin, history of the counter.