Japanese Binchotan - Ubame Ara (Large pieces)

Kishu Binchotan is considered to be THE best binchotan in the world.
Our binchotan is graded by quality and size. Please choose a grade that suits intended your use.

Made by Master Artisan Mr Akira Yamada

Although our grills can be used with any charcoal we would recommend using Japanese Binchotan or Japanese white charcoal which is known as the King of all charcoals, a favourite amongst Yakitori bars all over Japan due to it's clean burning properties and the amazing aroma and flavour it imparts when grilling. It is much harder and denser than ordinary black or lump charcoal and has a characteristic metallic sound when struck together.

Japanese Binchotan is the perfect charcoal for barbequing due to its long steady burning properties, and food grilled over Japanese binchotan results in a juicier texture and heightened flavours compared to other charcoal. There is no smoke and it is completely odourless when burning, so the flavour of the food is kept pure. This of course all changes when you add meat to the grill.

TIP:  If grilling fattier meats place your grill directly under your kitchen extractor and put it on full and grill your favorite cuts.

Genuine Kishu Binchotan

The Kishu binchotan we source is pure, 100% produced from Ubame oak (Quercus phillyraeoides) trees grown and processed in Wakayama Prefecture and is sustainably sourced.

Kishu binchotan has a total burn time of up to 4-5 hours.

The flavour when cooking on authentic Japanese Binchotan is unparalleled, and as local demand in Japan far exceeds supply we are very fortunate to be able to offer this to our customers in South Africa.

Kishu Binchotan can be used to grill indoors as there is little to no smoke and completely free from carcinogens and chemicals.  Lighting binchotan can be achieved by using our Charcoal Starter pan, which can be found on our LIGHT page.

Our Kishu Ara pieces of Binchotan comes in varied sizes.  They are a mixture of larger to smaller pieces so should you want to make smaller pieces they can be cut down to smaller sizes using a sharp axe. Binchotan tends to break clean but please take care when doing so and wear appropriate eye protection.

Compared to regular natural hardwood charcoal, Japanese Binchotan will burn many times longer and when finished grilling, you should simply extinguish the charcoal so you can use it again.

To extinguish, if using a Grills of Japan Hibachi or 2-in-1 Teppanyaki & Hibachi, simply close the air vents and use your GoJ Extinguishing Lid, which can be found in our EXTINGUISH page. Alternatively, dip each piece of charcoal in cold water for 30 seconds and leave to dry, or use a stainless steel pan with a lid to starve the charcoal of oxygen. Allow sufficient time to extinguish and cool before handling. 

SAFETY

• Store binchotan in an airtight plastic container or Extinguishing pot to keep dry.
• If you notice any cracking or popping sounds you need to dry out the charcoal first. This is because binchotan absorbs moisture from the air. Any moisture inside the charcoal will expand on heating causing cracking sounds/spitting/popping. To dry out A) place in the sun or B) If you want to use straight away, put it on low heat for approximately 10+ minutes. After drying out you can increase the temperature or C) Place into a warm oven at 100 degree celcius for 10 minutes before lighting on a direct flame.
• We recommend wrapping tin foil loosely around the top of the Starter Pot if that is your method of ignition. This mitigates any risk of popping. 
• Additionally you can place a metal grill net over the top of the charcoal chimney or Starter pot for the initial heating phase.
• Always allow sufficient ventilation.

Ubame Ara small is binchotan that is most suitable for hibachi and shichirin grills.