Binchō-tan (Шаблон:Lang-ja), 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 (Шаблон:Lang) began to produce it in Tanabe, Wakayama. The typical raw material used to make binchō-tan in Japan is oak, specifically Шаблон: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 (Шаблон:Lang), Kishū being the old name of Wakayama.
White charcoal is made by pyrolysing wood in a kiln at approximately Шаблон:Convert for 120 hours, then raising the temperature to around Шаблон:Convert. Once carbonised, the material is taken out and covered in a damp mixture of earth, sand and ash.[1]
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 and, apart from being used for cooking, has other benefits such as absorption of odorsШаблон:Citation needed.
In comparison, oga-tan is a type of biomass briquettes - a sawdust charcoal compressed into shapes with angular edges, often with a hole in the center. There exists a common misconception amongst restaurants and chefs that causes them to refer to oga-tan as binchō-tanШаблон:Citation needed.
Wind chimes and a musical instrument, the tankin ("charcoal-xylophone"), have been made from Binchō-tan.
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