Binchō-tan, 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 (備中屋 長左衛門) began to produce it in Tanabe,Wakayama. The typical raw material used to make binchō-tan in Japan is oak, specifically ubame oak.
Binchō-tan is known to burn long, clean, and incredibly hot and can be doused when finished cooking, left to dry and used again.
