Charcoal selection in Japan

[TokyoBBQ]

I have been charcoal grilling in Japan now for a while, but have been a bad Meathead afficionado in one respect, that being charcoal. Even after hearing that briquettes are better because of being more uniform and thus appropriate as a heat source, I figured this is Japan, there must be zero additive lump charcoal that is totally uniform. It turned out to be the case. The Iwate Prefecture Tree Charcoal Association, a non-profit group, has of course created standardization of the stuff and each 6 kg bag or box I have gone through this year as shockingly uniform wedges of beautiful black charcoal as if someone took a mold to the oak trees from which each were cut and grew them the same number of days in the same field with identical soil conditions. This has been a really nice way to start charcoal grilling, and I feel very spoiled. However, I am running out of the stuff again, and recently in a restaurant I was recommended "sawdust charcoal", sounds a lot like briquettes but with no additives and formed in the shape of a cylinder with a hole in the middle. Found a Japanese barbecue influencer who recommended briquettes topped with some of this "sawdust charcoal" (ogasumi), as a second opinion. I am also intrigued by binchotan, but not sure how it would work in a kettle on restricted airflow.

Are there any other members here who have been through the varieties of charcoal available in Japan and have opinions about which charcoal is best for which use? There are flow charts on Japanese charcoal website advising for each, but their use cases are a poor match for my own since kettles are not so widely used here.

[RonB]

I can't help, but welcome to the posting side of The Pit.

[58limited]

Welcome to the pit! I can't help with charcoal from Japan but here in Texas I prefer lump charcoal over briquettes both for flavor and for how it burns: a log slow burn with less ash. To me, briquettes impart a stronger flavor to food; many associate that with "grill flavor" but to me it reminds me of chemicals and additives. I add wood chunks to the lump charcoal for smoke flavor.

[Purc]

Welcome to The Pit from Texas.

[ItsAllGoneToTheDogs]

Honestly, the best thing is just to buy a bag of something and try it. Even better if you log data (time to light, max temp, lowest stable temp, burn time, etc...)

You will have access to many things that we obviously do not. There's some hype about binchotan and thaan Thai and some other stuff here, but you don't really see people experimenting with it because it's so expensive.

If you live near one of the US bases, maybe you can find a BBQ friend and y'all can figure something out for Kingsford or whatever the base stocks.

[RichieB]

Welcome from Western Massachusetts. Sorry, unable to help.

[TripleB]

Wow, a non-profit charcoal association and a "Gajin" Weber in Japan. Why don't you contact the Iwate Prefecture Tree Charcoal Association and ask them? I got into BBQ competition by contacting the Kansas City Barbeque Association (KCBS) and asking for information. Maybe the IPTCA can help you.

[WI Bubba]

Welcome from Wisconsin USA. Glad you could join us!

As suggested above, I would try what's available and make up my own mind. A lot of it will depend on what you are cooking and how you are cooking it. If you are doing low and slow, then the logs sound like they would be better, but for hot and fast I would think smaller pieces that have more air flow around them would be the way to go.

If you have a chance, I'd love to see some pictures of what you have available in Japan just to compare it to what I can get here.

[HawkerXP]

Welcome!

[RiverJeff]

Can't help but Welcome from Nebraska!

[SheilaAnn]

Binchotan burns hot hot hot! We used it my old job for yakitori nights. We had to coax it a lot to get it started, but that was because how our yakitori grill was built.

[ssennott]

I don’t have any input, but welcome to the Pit from Central Massachusetts

[TokyoBBQ]

Thanks very much all - will experiment and report back!

[dpearce]

I also do not have much to contribute, other than I've read that hexagonal charcoal with a hole through the middle is more popular in Asian countries. Supposedly, it burns hotter and longer, but as SheilaAnn noted, takes more effort to light.

You mentioned that not a lot of kettles are used over there? I'd be more interested to find out what they cook with, configuration, and some popular models, both for consumers and restaurants.

I'm guessing lots of direct grilling, like hibachi-style?

[TokyoBBQ]

You mentioned that not a lot of kettles are used over there? I'd be more interested to find out what they cook with, configuration, and some popular models, both for consumers and restaurants.

I'm guessing lots of direct grilling, like hibachi-style?

dpearce, you are correct. In Japan, barbecue generally refers to direct grilling, very close to the coals, with very thin slices of beef (yakiniku) or chicken skewers (yakitori). There is also often some seafood involved (scallops, sea snails, squid). Grills with a lid are very unusual. I watched a local Japanese youtuber advocate of american-style grilling bemoan this, but I have to say local barbecue culture and food is also great fun. Doing the same stuff on a kettle is even better though.

The usual stuff, cut oak charcoal, is fantastic, and in Japan it costs about $20 for 6kg (about 13 lbs). I learned from a friend who once was involved in its manufacture that they use the first one as a 'mold' to make the next cut of oak charcoal more uniform. Imagine it is quite labor intensive and requires orientation to detail, and the result is briquette-like uniformity, known single species of wood and no additives.

I have now purchased a second kind of charcoal (the stuff with a hole in the middle, but chose one domestically produced here) but not yet had a chance to use it. Forgot to last time I grilled. More to come!

[Michael_in_TX]

Please keep us updated. This is really interesting!