Skip to main content

The Magic (and Science) of Charcoal

Charcoal maker's stand near Hachioji.
I write for eco+waza, a very groovy company here in Tokyo, about an assortment of eco-ideas related to Japanese culture. Topics are a combination of my own ideas as well as suggestions from my editor. The latter are often particularly challenging assignments that require a fair amount of research and thought, but I love them for just that reason. And without fail, I learn much that gives me even greater insight into the country I currently call home.

My latest assignment was to explain to readers why charcoal is an effective deodorizer and dehumidifier. Japanese people have long used it to prevent mildew in kimono closets and keep rooms from smelling musty or particularly stinky after a meal of grilled fish. After loads of reading, an interview with a friendly scientist, and a basic science lesson, I learned that there's more to charcoal than just grilled meat!

Read the full article Japanese Charcoal: How and Why This Natural Deodorizer Works Its Magic to get the full scoop.

Photo Note: Taken during a hike out near Hachioji, we came across this little stand. I, of course, thought it was a vegetable stand at first, but it instead belonged to one of Japan's last few remaining charcoal makers. At the time I had no idea I'd get this assignment, but I simply took the picture because it looked fascinating. Now that I know what I do, I wish I'd bought a bag of his charcoal for the house or the bamboo charcoal vinegar for the garden. 
Labels:

Comments

Anjuli said…
Congrats on the article- how fascinating- although I've used charcoal for such purposes I never understood WHY it worked- and now I do!!! THANK YOU!! Wow- it is amazing.

Also- another use which I put charcoal to work in Ghana was IN MY TUMMY- with charcoal pills- when I was get a horrible stomach bug- I would eat charcoal pills and it helped termendously.
May 11, 2012 at 3:33 AM
Nate said…
That's pretty awesome. Never knew coal was a deodorizer or dehumidifier. Great stuff.

So it's one of japan's last coal makers? Really?
May 11, 2012 at 4:33 AM
Joan Lambert Bailey said…
Anjuli, Seriously? You use it? Wow. What's the story there? I'd never heard of this before writing for eco+waza. And yes, the charcoal pills work well for the exact same reasons; however, in both cases it's best to use activated charcoal.

Nate, A word of caution. It's not coal, but charcoal. Coal is a different entity, although related, and not one you might want to use to deodorize. :) Yup, it really is one of the last charcoal makers. It's a dying profession here, as the product is as widely used as it once was. Some are working to change that, but even so craftsmen and women like this one are few and far between.
May 11, 2012 at 9:30 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Finding Heirloom Seeds in Japan

Drying pods of heirloom Hutterite Soup Beans. Since moving to Japan eight years ago, one of my greatest challenges as a farmer-gardener has been to find heirloom or open-pollinated seeds. The majority of seeds available are not GMO (genetically modified organisms) as Japan, at this point, doesn't accept this material. Most seeds, though, are nearly all F1 varieties. Heirloom and F1 Varieties In plant breeding, F1 is the name given to the first generation of a cross between two true breeding parents. For example, if I decide to cross an Amish Paste Tomato with another heirloom variety tomato such as Emmy, in hopes of getting a gold paste tomato, the resulting generation of fruit is F1. In order to get that tomato of my culinary dreams, I'll need to choose members of that first generation that are headed in a direction I like - early ripening, medium-sized fruit, good taste - and save their seeds. I'll plant them and repeat the process again and again over time unti
4 comments
Read more

Satoimo: One of Japan's Favorite Slimy Things

Satoimo in all their hairy glory. This post first appeared in slightly different form on Garden to Table as part of the 2012  Blogathon . The website has since moved on to the ether, but the post is still a good one. After all, people here are still eating satoimo on a daily basis, and many others are just seeing these little potato-like objects for the first time. Enjoy! Satoimo is one of Japan's odder vegetables. Under it's rough, slightly furry skin is white flesh that is a little bit slimy even raw, and with a gentle nutty flavor.* Baked, grilled, steamed with dashi, or deep-fried satoimo stands well on its own or paired up with other vegetables and meats in a wide variety of soups and stews . (The leaves are also edible.) Satoimo stores well, and like any root crop worth the effort, stocks are just running low on this household favorite as the farmers in my area of Tokyo get ready to put a new crop in the ground in May. I cannot say I was a fan of this l
4 comments
Read more

Goma Ai Shingiku - Sesame and Chrysanthemum Greens

Last week I had the pleasure of helping some friends work in their parents garden not too far away. Tucked behind the house, the garden sits on a former house lot. When it came up for sale about five years ago, my friend's father jumped at the chance. Open land in Tokyo can be hard to find and expensive, but for a retired professional looking for a little spot to till in the city it was an opportunity to good to pass up. Now, it is a garden to envy. As we came through the gate rose, lily, and peony blooms greeted us with great shouts of color while rows of vegetables stood tidily at attention on the sunny center stage. Small fruit trees along with one of the biggest sansho trees I've seen yet stood quietly here and there. Near waist-high sweet corn, bushy young potato plants, cherry tomatoes, eggplants, and beans were preparing their summer fruits, while a handful of still quite luscious looking winter vegetables like komatsuna, mizuna, and kabu held one last ro
4 comments
Read more