Due to charcoal being classified as a dangerous good we can only ship this product domestically with ground services (Expedited Parcel).

Thicker pieces can continue to burn for a long time, but takes longer to ignite. However, the firepower is inferior compared to thinner pieces. These small pieces of round Hyuga-Binchotan are great for Konro or BBQ grills.

What is Binchotan (備長炭)?

Binchotan means charcoal in Japanese. However, this Binchotan, or sometimes referred to as bincho zumi, is a particular type of charcoal that is a long-burning, clean, and natural alternative to charcoal briquettes.

While pretty much more expensive compared to your ordinary charcoals in the market, this flameless charcoal produces intensive heat, burns cleanly, gives off no odour, and can cook at a higher temperature than other types of charcoal, making the outside of food ingredient crispy without drying it out. This log-shaped charcoal is made from various oak that combines the best aspects of lump charcoal and briquettes.

The smoke it produces gives a distinct enticing flavour. The heat of Binchotan is so intense that it could actually create a hole in a pan like an infrared ray hitting the centre.

This charcoal is dried and stacked into brick ovens and taken to four different temperatures: two hundred degrees, four hundred degrees, five hundred fifty degrees, and nine hundred degrees Celsius, for 8 weeks. For the last stage, they rapidly add air so that the heat reaches one thousand two hundred degrees Celsius, which carbonizes it and permanently changes the charcoal's internal structure.

What is the difference between Hyuga-Binchotan (日向備長炭) and Kishu-Binchotan (紀州備長炭)?

The major difference between Hyuga-Binchotan and Kishu-Binchotan, is their place of origin. Kishu-Binchotan is produced in Wakayama Prefecture, located in the central part of Japan, while Hyuga-Binchotan is produced in Miyazaki Prefecture, which is located on the western side.

Additionally, the type of wood used as the material for Binchotan differs between the two regions. Kishu-Binchotan uses "ubame oak" or "aragashi oak," while Hyuga-Binchotan is made from 100% "aragashi oak" that grows naturally in Miyazaki Prefecture.