binchotan

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Japanese 備長炭 (binchō-tan).

Noun

binchotan (uncountable)

1. A kind of oak charcoal used in traditional Japanese cooking.
   • 2020 October 27, Thomas Keller, The French Laundry, Per Se (The Thomas Keller Library)‎^[1], Artisan Books, →ISBN, page 270:

     Both kitchens are fans of binchotan, the compressed Japanese charcoal that burns especially hot and clean. The high heat of it, however, is best suited to searing food over glowing coals.

   • 2021 March 9, Brandon Jew, Tienlon Ho, Mister Jiu's in Chinatown: Recipes and Stories from the Birthplace of Chinese American Food‎^[2], Ten Speed Press, →ISBN, page 224:

     We use binchotan, a pre-burned hardwood or bamboo, for its intense and steady heat to keep serving these all night, but any clean-burning charcoal you can keep red-hot will do.