Binchōtan

Binchōtan

Binchō-tan or white charcoal or binchō-zumi (備長炭) is a traditional charcoal of Japan. It dates to the Edo period, when during the Genroku era, a craftsman named Bitchū-ya Chōzaemon (中屋 左衛門) began to produce it in Tanabe, Wakayama. The raw material is oak, specifically "ubame" oak ("Quercus phillyraeoides"), 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.

The fineness and high quality of Binchō-tan are attributed to steaming at high temperatures. Although it is often thought that Binchō-tan burns hot, it actually burns at a lower temperature than ordinary charcoal but for a longer period of time. Because it does not release smoke or other unpleasant flavors, it is a favorite of "unagi" and "yakitori" cooks. Due to difficulties in identifying the producing region, the name "binchō-tan" has come into broader use to designate white charcoal generally, and even products from outside Japan, as well as those made of other species, have come to use the name. The amount of Binchō-tan sold domestically in Japan markedly decreased following a 2004 export restriction promulgated for forest protection by the People's Republic of China.

To differentiate the aforementioned "non-pure" products, there is a movement to call Binchō-tan produced in Wakayama "kishū binchō-tan".

Binchō-tan has found uses other than as a fuel. Because it has numerous small pores, it can absorb chemical substances. Bits can be added to rice during cooking to remove chalky flavor, placed in shoe-cabinets to absorb odors, and put in rooms to freshen the air. There are many more supposed benefits and health values of white charcoal. Currently there are numbers of manufacturers had came out with final products such as socks, shirts, shampoo, cosmetic products, and many more.

Binchō-tan or white charcoal is harder than the usual black charcoal, and rings with a metallic sound when struck. Wind chimes and a musical instrument, the "tankin" ("charcoal-xylophone") have been made from it.

* [http://www.sortofcoal.com Sort of Coal.com]
* [http://web-japan.org/nipponia/nipponia19/en/topic/index.html Japan Community Site]


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать курсовую

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Charcoal — For other uses, see Charcoal (disambiguation). Dry charcoal …   Wikipedia

  • Minabe, Wakayama — Minabe みなべ町   Town   Location of Minabe in Wakayama Prefecture …   Wikipedia

  • Binchō-tan (manga) — * [http://www.tbs.co.jp/bincho/ Anime official website] jp icon * [http://www.mmv i.net/game/ps2/binchotan/ Official website for video game (Marvelous Interactive)] jp icon * [http://www.kishu binchotan.jp/ Minabegawa Forestry Society] jp icon …   Wikipedia

  • Masumi Itō — Masumi Ito (伊藤真澄) Also known as Hikaru Nanase (七瀬光) Genres J pop, Orchestral Occupations Singer, songwriter, composer, arranger Instruments piano, vocals …   Wikipedia

  • Moe anthropomorphism — Wikipe tan, a combination of the Japanese word for Wikipedia and the friendly suffix for children, tan,[1] is a moe anthropomorphism of Wikipedia. Moe anthropomorphism (萌え擬人化 …   Wikipedia

  • Hidakagawa, Wakayama — nihongo|Hidakagawa|日高川町|Hidakagawa chō is a town in Hidaka District, Wakayama Prefecture, Japan. It resulted from the May 2005 merger of the town of Kawabe and the villages of Nakatsu and Miyama. As of January 1, 2007, Hidakagawa has a population …   Wikipedia

  • Iwasaki Taku — Taku Iwasaki (jap. 岩崎 琢, Iwasaki Taku; * 21. Januar 1968 in der Präfektur Tokio, Japan) ist ein japanischer Komponist und Arrangeur. Inhaltsverzeichnis 1 Lebenslauf 2 Werke …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Hikaru Nanase — Masumi Itō Masumi Itō (伊藤真澄, Itō Masumi?) plus connue sous le pseudonyme de Hikaru Nanase (七瀬光, Nanase Hikaru?)), née …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Masumi Ito — Masumi Itō Masumi Itō (伊藤真澄, Itō Masumi?) plus connue sous le pseudonyme de Hikaru Nanase (七瀬光, Nanase Hikaru?)), née …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Masumi Itō — (伊藤真澄, Itō Masumi?) plus connue sous le pseudonyme de Hikaru Nanase (七瀬光, Nanase Hikaru? …   Wikipédia en Français

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”