Binchotan
Binchotan, which is commonly referred to as "white charcoal" is all natural hardwood that is collected and placed in a kiln at high temperature for an extended amount of time. The result is a product that produces high intense heat, is smokeless, and burns for an extended amount of time. It has a unique metallic sound when struck.
It is traditionally used in Japanese cooking for Yakitori and Kushiyaki however many chefs these days use it for all sorts of dishes because of its clean burn. The high infrared heat penetrates the food and elevates natural flavors to achieve perfectly cooked food with a tasty exterior and juicy interior.
If you haven't had a chance to try food cooked over Binchotan, you are missing out! We are fortunate to have so many incredible places in Southern California. So do yourself a favor and find one, grab family or a friend and enjoy yourself!! Then shoot me a dm and let me know how you liked it.
Ogatan
Ogatan also referred to as "Sawdust Charcoal" is a more cost effective, ecofriendly product that has many of the same characteristics and uses as Binchotan.
Not all Ogatan is the same, some are square, some hexagon, some use binders, some come from scrap material from furniture production.
Binchotan Man Premium Ogatan is all natural, made from high quality hardwood collected from older trees that decided they had their fill of life. It is a mix of Oak, Chestnut, Teak and other hardwoods commonly found in Vietnam. The foraged trees are sent through a chipper and then crushed to a fine sawdust. After crushing they are filtered through several stages to remove impurities, then dried to a moisture content below 2% to help achieve high carbonization. Next, the sawdust is placed in high pressure machines to compress the sawdust into a unform shape. This step is critical to achieve a nice dense log for improved burning efficiency. Next, they are placed in iron kilns for carbonization. Finally, they are dried, then packed carefully by some amazing ladies.
Just like Binchotan, its uses are endless. It produces clean high heat that is smokeless, sparkless and burns for an extended amount of time.
Performance and Quality over Beauty
They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder, at Binchotan Man, we believe the beauty in our Premium Ogatan translates to performance and quality over physical beauty. As mentioned above, our Premium Ogatan is fired in iron kilns which allows for much higher , consistent burning temperatures. This results in more uniform charcoal quality and ensures carbon content is consistently over 90% across all pieces. The high temperatures can cause surface cracks and discoloration on some pieces, altering their physical "beauty". Traditional clay kilns operate at much lower levels over a longer period of time which results in smoother surface. However, since heat in a clay kiln is distributed unevenly from the top, bottom, center and sides, the charcoal quality can be inconsistent.
Getting it fired up
Both Binchotan and Ogatan take a little longer to light than standard lump style charcoal. The best way is to load it in a chimney and place on a portable burner, or a wok burner if you are lucky enough to have one. Depending on your fire power, it can be ready anywhere from 10-30 minutes. Once lit, transfer it to your grill and get ready for hours of clean cooking.
Once you are finished, don't just let it burn out, unless you like burning cash. Just starve it of Oxygen by placing it place it in a metal container with a lid. Alternatively many people throw it in water, but be careful with this method as it can spit. Then just dry it out before your next cook.