Thaan Pressed Binchotan Charcoal - 22 pounds
Binchotan, as it is called in Japan, is also known as white charcoal.
The original man (man as defined in Old English prior to the 13th century) is believed to have discovered the benefits of charcoal for cooking, and perhaps, thus, man continues to cook with charcoal, our primal roots of cooking dinosaur relatives like chicken.
The readily available charcoal is made by the same basic process as Binchotan.
The process of creating charcoal involves carbonizing different materials in a controlled environment with limited oxygen. This method allows for the removal of impurities and volatile compounds while retaining the carbon structure of the wood.
The key difference between charcoal and binchotan lies in the production methods. Charcoal is generally produced using a relatively faster carbonization process, while binchotan is produced through a specialized and prolonged carbonization process.
Regular charcoal is made by heating wood or other organic materials in a closed container or kiln with limited oxygen. This process is relatively faster and results in charcoal that has a wide range of uses, such as cooking, heating, and industrial applications.
Binchotan, on the other hand, is charcoal produced using a centuries-old method. It involves carbonizing specific types of wood at a much higher temperature for an extended period, often up to several days. The slow and controlled carbonization process results in charcoal with a unique structure, characterized by many tiny pores.
Binchotan charcoal is known for its high carbon content, low ash content, and exceptional hardness. It also has a higher pore density compared to regular charcoal.
It is incredibly cool to use.
Super hot and not smoky, making for a real even heat. Mastering it is a challenge, and that makes it fun to use.
If you place a thin slice of steak with the binchotan almost touching the grill, it cooks almost instantly, like applying a torch to the meat. Except it provides an even and gentle heat, and the result is magical and blazingly quick!
The heat—this heat—seals in flavors somehow magically. Think of vegetables, mushrooms, fruit, just about everything you heat now and even things you don't. It changes the way you think about cooking, faster than an air fryer for sure!
These blocks will last 3 to 5 hours, and if you extinguish them, you can reuse them until they are gone!
And when you have a campfire, once you get the binchotan started, you can pile on the wood without a care in the world because it will burn!
This is a good version of binchotan. Price versus performance and availability. The same sized charcoal really helps when using a shichirin (hibachi) grill. When planning for how much heat and time you can expect the same sized pieces help significantly.