Binchōtan facts for kids
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Binchō-tan (Japanese: 備長炭), also called white charcoal or binchō-zumi, is a type of charcoal traditionally used in Japanese cooking. Its use dates to the Edo period, when, during the Genroku era, a craftsman named Bichū-ya Chōzaemon (備中屋 長左衛門) began to produce it in Tanabe, Wakayama. The typical raw material used to make binchō-tan in Japan is oak, specifically ubame oak, now the official tree of Wakayama Prefecture. Wakayama continues to be a major producer of high-quality charcoal, with the town of Minabe, Wakayama, producing more binchō-tan than any other town in Japan. Binchō-tan produced in Wakayama is referred to as Kishū binchō-tan (紀州備長炭), Kishū being the old name of Wakayama.
White charcoal is made by pyrolysing wood in a kiln at approximately 240 °C for 120 hours, then raising the temperature to around 1000 °C. Once carbonised, the material is taken out and covered in a damp mixture of earth, sand and ash. Due to its special physical structure, it takes on a whiter or even metallic appearance and apart from being used for cooking, brings benefits to the home, such as absorption of odors.
There exists a common misconception amongst restaurants and chefs when promoting their use of binchō-tan, when restaurants mistakenly refer to a type of Biomass briquettes known as 'oga-tan', as binchō-tan.'
To differentiate between the aforementioned "non-pure" products, understanding the physical differences between binchō-tan and oga-tan is key. Oga-tan is a form of compressed sawdust charcoal with angular edges and often consists of a hole in the center.
Binchō-tan is a type of hardwood charcoal which takes the natural shape of the wood that was used to make it. Binchō-tan is also harder than black charcoal, ringing with a metallic sound when struck.
Wind chimes and a musical instrument, the tankin ("charcoal-xylophone"), have been made from Binchō-tan.
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