Ómós Digest #35: Binchotan.
A unique charcoal and sparks of creativity.
Once upon a time, I mistakenly made the comment that “ice is ice”. What followed was a blow-by-blow lecture from an aggrieved barman who took it upon himself to educate me on why ice is not just ice. Despite my ignorance, I quickly learnt that the same level of care should be given to ice as any other component in a cocktail. The significance of ice, its production and the attention to detail attributed towards it, I was taught, was enough to distinguish a well-made drink from a truly outstanding one. I say this because the same applies to many aspects of our industry, from chicken to charcoal.
Meat. Everything I hear these days tells me to step away from it. Only today did I have a conversation with a chef who works for one of my favourite lunch spots. It’s a ‘good for you’ takeaway that prides itself on delicious, seasonal and quality produce, to the point that they even have a vegetable farm. I frequently leave it feeling good about myself - it's real food after all - but today was different. To my dismay, I was informed that the chicken they use in their best selling dish comes from battery hens raised in Poland. Sadly, that’s what happens when your company is dictated by the numbers guy, who mistakenly thinks that “chicken is chicken”. While recurring stories like this confirm to me that our food system is broken, and I’m tired of greenwashing and animal welfare being disrespected, there are moments that remind me why I continue to eat selected meat. Like last week, when I secured a 10 kg box of activated binchotan that has the ability to impart meat with a flavour unachievable from any other charcoal.