Binchōtan

File:Japanese Binchōtan (Japanese high-grade charcoal produced from ubame oak).jpg

Binchō-tan, or white charcoal

File:BurningBinchōtan.jpg

Burning Binchōtan

Binchō-tan (Template:Langx, ), also called white charcoal or binchō-zumi, is a type of high-quality charcoal traditionally used in Japanese cooking. Its use dates back to the Edo period when during the Genroku era, a craftsman named Bichū-ya Chōzaemon () began to produce it in Tanabe, Wakayama. The typical raw material used to make binchō-tan in Japan is oak, specifically Template:Ill, 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 (), Kishū being the old name of Wakayama.

White charcoal is made by pyrolysing wood in a kiln at approximately for 120 hours, then raising the temperature to around . Once carbonised, the material is taken out and covered to cure in a damp mixture of earth, sand, and ash.

Binchō-tan is a type of hardwood charcoal which takes the natural shape of the wood that was used to make it. It is also harder than black charcoal, ringing with a metallic sound when struck. Due to its physical structure, binchō-tan takes on a whiter or even metallic appearance. Apart from being used for cooking, it has other benefits, such as absorption of odors.

External links

• 紀州備長炭 —Making of Kishū Binchōtan by Wakayama Pref.
• 炭琴 —Tankin ("charcoal-xylophone")
• "Charcoal Adds to the Good Life" – an article from 2001 touting the benefits of black and white charcoal, the latter including binchōtan