Tea, Words & Tools
三角べら・さんかくべら
Sankaku-bera triangular spatula
A three-sided wooden spatula for marking petal lines on nerikiri.
The sankaku-bera is a long, slender wooden spatula with a triangular cross-section, an indispensable tool for detailed work on nerikiri and konashi. Its three edges are pressed against the dough to mark the lines of petals and leaves.
Each edge has a different sharpness: one makes a single line, another a double line, and they are used accordingly. Even the fine lines of chrysanthemum petals are made with this one tool. The hollow at the tip is used to make the stamens of a flower.
Because the character of a line changes with pressure and angle, this is where the maker's individuality shows, even in the same sweet.
