Susudake Yōji – Bamboo Sweets Pick

A set of three bamboo youji (楊枝 – sweets picks) for cutting and eating various types of wagashi. Each pick is made from susudake (煤竹 – soot-stained bamboo) carved into a rough blade. Compared to the more common plastic or stainless steel youji, these bamboo picks made by Suikaen have a more rustic and natural aesthetic.

Soot-coloured chasen, or susudake chasen, however, are made from pieces of bamboo taken from the ceiling of a traditional Japanese house, where it had been exposed to years of smoke and soot from the sunken charcoal hearth. This soot naturally stains the bamboo a beautiful deep brown over the course of decades and often centuries. As such, each piece of susudake is unique, and with the number of traditional Japanese houses on the decline, susudake is becoming increasingly rare and expensive.

Due to the organic nature of bamboo and handmade teaware, there may be slight variations in size, capacity, and appearance.