カヤ
カヤ

カヤ

  • Japanese torreya
  • イチイ科カヤ属
  • 日本

幻の高級木

樹脂分が多く虫除けの芳香があり、使い込むほど飴色の光沢が出る黄金色の木。間伐材や枝を燻して蚊を追い払うために使われたため、カヤはこの「蚊遣り」に由来するという説がある。まな板や箸、お椀、彫刻に使用するのも最適だが、碁盤、将棋盤、連珠盤はカヤで作られたものが最高級品とされる。カヤから採った油は食用油として最高のものとされ、豊臣秀吉、徳川家康といった武将達が榧の油を天ぷら油として賞味、賞賛したと言われる。

Phantom's luxury tree

A golden-colored wood rich in resin, with an insect-repellent fragrance, it develops an amber sheen with use. One theory holds that kaya got its name from “kayayari,” meaning “mosquito repellent,” because its thinnings and branches were burned to drive away mosquitoes. It is also ideal for cutting boards, chopsticks, bowls, and carvings, but kaya-made Go boards, shogi boards, and renju boards are considered the finest. The oil extracted from its seeds is regarded as the best edible oil, and it is said that military commanders such as Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu enjoyed and praised kaya oil for deep-frying tempura.