Hibachi

In today's world, Hibachi has become a topic of general interest covering a wide spectrum of applications. From its impact on society to its relevance in the global economy, the study of Hibachi has gained undeniable importance in various fields of knowledge. In this article, we will explore the different facets of Hibachi and its influence on our daily lives. From its origins to its evolution today, we will delve into a detailed analysis that will allow us to better understand the importance and scope of Hibachi in the contemporary world.

For the Japanese restaurant concept, see Teppanyaki.
For the video game boss with the same name, see DoDonpachi.
A porcelain hibachi
North American "hibachi" cast iron grill

The hibachi (Japanese: 火鉢, fire bowl) is a traditional Japanese heating device. It is a brazier which is a round, cylindrical, or box-shaped, open-topped container, made from or lined with a heatproof material and designed to hold burning charcoal. It is believed hibachi date back to the Heian period (794 to 1185).[1] It is filled with incombustible ash, and charcoal sits in the center of the ash.[2] To handle the charcoal, a pair of metal chopsticks called hibashi (火箸, fire chopsticks) is used, in a way similar to Western fire irons or tongs.[3] Hibachi were used for heating, not for cooking.[3] It heats by radiation,[4] and is too weak to warm a whole room.[2] Sometimes, people placed a tetsubin (鉄瓶, iron kettle) over the hibachi to boil water for tea.[3] Later, by the 1900s, some cooking was also done over the hibachi.[5]: 251 

Traditional Japanese houses were well ventilated (or poorly sealed), so carbon monoxide poisoning or suffocation from carbon dioxide from burning charcoal were of lesser concern.[2] Nevertheless, such risks do exist, and proper handling is necessary to avoid accidents.[5]: 255 [6] Hibachi must never be used in airtight rooms such as those in Western buildings.[6]: 129 

In North America, the term hibachi refers to a small cooking stove heated by charcoal (called a shichirin in Japanese),[1] or to an iron hot plate (called a teppan in Japanese) used in teppanyaki restaurants.[1]

  • Primitive hibachi from before the Edo period (1600–1868) (Fukagawa Edo Museum)
    Primitive hibachi from before the Edo period (1600–1868) (Fukagawa Edo Museum)
  • A traditional charcoal hibachi, made c. 1880–1900
    A traditional charcoal hibachi, made c. 1880–1900
  • House of the Edo period (Fukagawa Edo Museum)
    House of the Edo period (Fukagawa Edo Museum)
  • Two women and a man warming themselves by a hibachi
    Two women and a man warming themselves by a hibachi

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "'Hibachi' Probably Doesn't Mean What You Think It Does". Japanese Food Guide. 5 May 2021.
  2. ^ a b c Dresser, Christopher (1882). Japan: Its architecture, art, and art manufactures. London: Longmans, Green, and Co. pp. 22–23. hdl:2027/yale.39002009493082.
  3. ^ a b c Hough, Walter (1928). "Collection of heating and lighting utensils in the United States National Museum". Bulletin of the United States National Museum. 141. Washington D.C.: United States National Museum, Smithsonian Institution: 83–84. hdl:2027/uiug.30112032539204.
  4. ^ Tsujimoto, Kennosuke (1935). 煖房並に台所用熱源と一酸化炭素の害毒と其の對策(其一) [Heat sources for heating and kitchen, hazards of carbon monoxide and their prevention]. Kaji to eisei (家事と衛生) (in Japanese). 11 (1): 27. doi:10.11468/seikatsueisei1925.11.25. ISSN 1883-6615. (bibliographic data:)
  5. ^ a b Arnold, Edwin (1904). "The Japanese Hearth". In Singleton, Esther (ed.). Japan as seen and described by famous writers. New York: Dodd, Mead and company. pp. 250–256. hdl:2027/hvd.32044013638895.
  6. ^ a b 大阪市立衛生試験所(Osaka City sanitary laboratories) (1940). 炭火中毒の話 – 一酸化炭素中毒. Kaji to eisei (家事と衛生) (in Japanese). 16 (2): 126–128. doi:10.11468/seikatsueisei1925.16.2_123. ISSN 1883-6615. (bibliographic data:)
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