The Amaterasu Railway Now Runs on Leftover Tonkotsu Ramen Broth
December 5, 2022 2:41 PM Subscribe
The Amaterasu Railway in Miyazaki Prefecture is a popular local train that takes passengers on a gorgeous 30-minute journey through the spectacular scenery of Takachiho. The quirky train is known for its open roof, its journey over Japan’s highest train bridge, and train conductors who blow bubbles along the way. But now they’re known for something else: leaving passengers feeling hungry.
You can't make biodiesel from broth. By definition broth is the water part that the fat separates from. So they have some fatty fatty broth and eat the yummy broth and now they have a use for all that leftover fat. They use fast-food oil around here for biofuel (Asheville) and it smells great!
I want to ride that train!
posted by bitslayer at 3:55 PM on December 5, 2022 [3 favorites]
I want to ride that train!
posted by bitslayer at 3:55 PM on December 5, 2022 [3 favorites]
Yeah, I am pretty sure they use the fryer oil from making tonkatsu, not the broth that is tonkotsu with an o. It’s the only thing that makes sense, right?
posted by snofoam at 4:35 PM on December 5, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by snofoam at 4:35 PM on December 5, 2022 [1 favorite]
Every biodiesel recipe I’ve looked at includes quite a bit of methanol as a biocide, and biodiesel fuel also has elevated levels of formaldehyde in the exhaust because of the methanol.
Better for global warming, but not necessarily healthier to be exposed to fuel itself or the exhaust.
posted by jamjam at 4:53 PM on December 5, 2022
Better for global warming, but not necessarily healthier to be exposed to fuel itself or the exhaust.
posted by jamjam at 4:53 PM on December 5, 2022
Japan Today:
Nishida Logistics installed equipment at the restaurant into which the leftover ramen broth could be dumped in order to separate out the lard content, which can then be used to make biodiesel fuel. The ramen-derived fuel is mixed with biodiesel made from used tempura cooking oil, another ecologically minded initiative Nishida Logistics has introduced, and the blended Japanese food-based biodiesel now powers roughly half of the company’s fleet of 170 trucks.
"Journey to the Ancient Future"
posted by snuffleupagus at 5:14 PM on December 5, 2022 [5 favorites]
Nishida Logistics installed equipment at the restaurant into which the leftover ramen broth could be dumped in order to separate out the lard content, which can then be used to make biodiesel fuel. The ramen-derived fuel is mixed with biodiesel made from used tempura cooking oil, another ecologically minded initiative Nishida Logistics has introduced, and the blended Japanese food-based biodiesel now powers roughly half of the company’s fleet of 170 trucks.
"Journey to the Ancient Future"
posted by snuffleupagus at 5:14 PM on December 5, 2022 [5 favorites]
I love this! A train ride that smells delicious!
posted by tiny frying pan at 5:55 PM on December 5, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by tiny frying pan at 5:55 PM on December 5, 2022 [1 favorite]
Every biodiesel recipe I’ve looked at includes quite a bit of methanol as a biocide, and biodiesel fuel also has elevated levels of formaldehyde in the exhaust because of the methanol.
Yeah, I think biodiesel only makes sense - economically, ecologically, etc. - if you are talking about waste food oil, and the supply chain is extremely short. I used to have a vegan restaurant and we went through 8-10 gallons of peanut oil a week.* This was enough to supply 2 of our customers who had bio-diesel converted** cars with all of their fuel needs. They took the waste oil, did all of the filtering themselves, and were ready to go. Since they were using the oil so quickly, and not storing it, no methanol or other biocides were necessary.
*Of course we had a deep fryer. I didn't say it was a healthy vegan restaurant.
**They both had a fuel heater followed by an extra large fuel filter installed. I've since heard from other bio-diesel diy-ers that if you filter the oil properly, the fuel heater isn't necessary in warm climates.
posted by Anoplura at 7:15 PM on December 5, 2022 [9 favorites]
Yeah, I think biodiesel only makes sense - economically, ecologically, etc. - if you are talking about waste food oil, and the supply chain is extremely short. I used to have a vegan restaurant and we went through 8-10 gallons of peanut oil a week.* This was enough to supply 2 of our customers who had bio-diesel converted** cars with all of their fuel needs. They took the waste oil, did all of the filtering themselves, and were ready to go. Since they were using the oil so quickly, and not storing it, no methanol or other biocides were necessary.
*Of course we had a deep fryer. I didn't say it was a healthy vegan restaurant.
**They both had a fuel heater followed by an extra large fuel filter installed. I've since heard from other bio-diesel diy-ers that if you filter the oil properly, the fuel heater isn't necessary in warm climates.
posted by Anoplura at 7:15 PM on December 5, 2022 [9 favorites]
I run on tonkatsu too!
posted by Keith Talent at 7:56 PM on December 5, 2022 [10 favorites]
posted by Keith Talent at 7:56 PM on December 5, 2022 [10 favorites]
It took me a surprisingly long time to realize this wasn't a story about a formerly beloved tourist train suddenly shortchanging its customers by serving them bad or no food for the dining service.
This is much nicer!
posted by chrominance at 10:36 PM on December 5, 2022 [11 favorites]
This is much nicer!
posted by chrominance at 10:36 PM on December 5, 2022 [11 favorites]
It's hard to believe they get enough fat from broth that they could make biofuel. After a little more digging I discovered they are using used cooking oil and the lard from ramen broth in a 9:1 ratio to make they biofuel. That makes much more sense.
posted by ShakeyJake at 8:24 AM on December 6, 2022
posted by ShakeyJake at 8:24 AM on December 6, 2022
Everything about this train, from it's open cars traveling through a forest to the bubble blowing conductors and now the the comfort food fuel sounds like something Studio Ghibli would put in a film.
posted by KingEdRa at 2:55 PM on December 6, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by KingEdRa at 2:55 PM on December 6, 2022 [1 favorite]
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