Sumi is an essential part of the tea ceremony and has been used for centuries in Japan as a principal source for cooking. Charcoal was an indispensable factor in the development of diverse facets of Japanese culture, from cuisine, brewing of sake, sword forging, and even medicine and makeup.

It’s an energy source that helped forged the great bronze Buddha at the Todaiji Temple in Nara. The casting of which is believed to have required one of the largest amounts of charcoal in history. But in daily life, charcoal was most commonly used for heating and cooking and today is seen less and less.

There are various grades of charcoal and in Japan charcoal isn’t just for cooking, it is seen as natures way of purifying and is used in water and in filters. Of course we are all familiar with charcoal filters using activated carbon.

The top grade charcoal kunugi tree saw-tooth oak is often used but this is mostly for tea ceremony, and in grilling you can use sumi-binchotan which is considered the finest.

Sumi: http://mesubim.com/2014/12/09/kishu-sumi-binchotan-wakayama/

In the case of Japanese sumi used for yakitori, this is a large type used by the chef and it heats with an intense radiant heat that can maintain penetrate the surface, and the consistent heat source fires the bird without imparting any impurities that would negatively influence the chickens’ taste.

There is also bamboo charcoal, known in Japanese as Takesumi, a charcoal that is highly porous and capable of absorbing pollutants from both air and water. As such, bamboo charcoal also has the ability to absorb moisture in the air and balance indoor humidity levels, making it ideal to use during the rainy season.