also: はくたん · しらずみ
white charcoal
A type of charcoal made by carbonizing wood at high temperature and then cooling it rapidly with a mixture of ash, sand, and soil, resulting in a hard, white-surfaced charcoal. Contrasts with 黒炭 (black charcoal).
See also: 黒炭 (くろずみ)
白炭は黒炭より火持ちが良い。
White charcoal lasts longer than black charcoal.
charcoal for tea ceremony
Specifically, white charcoal used in the Japanese tea ceremony (茶道). It is prized for its clean burning and subtle heat.
茶道では白炭を使うことが多い。
White charcoal is often used in the tea ceremony.
備長炭は白炭の一種です。
Binchōtan is a type of white charcoal.
Standard kanji form; the reading しろずみ is the most common for this word.
On-reading variant; less common but encountered in technical or historical contexts.
Alternate kun-reading; rare and possibly dialectal or archaic.
Compound of 白 (white) and 炭 (charcoal), referring to the whitish surface of this type of charcoal. The reading しろずみ is the standard kun-reading combination; はくたん is the on-reading, and しらずみ is a rare alternate kun-reading.