Together with tenugui, hana-fukin - literally kitchen cloth - represents the basic cloth that every Japanese household needs to have, as they perfectly complement with each other: while the tenugui is made of a finer cotton fabric, the hana-fukin is a bit rougher and more raw, due to its peculiar origin.
A specialty of Nara prefecture, hana-fukin is actually made of mosquito net cloth: in the past, when mosquito netting declined in demand, due to changing lifestyles, its manufacturers - valuing the fabric's absorbency and durability - decided to reintroduce it as dishcloths, with immediate and utter success.
This version of the hana-fukin is a bit peculiar, not only in the reduced size (30x35cm), but also because 4 layers of fabric for mosquito nets are coupled with one layer of gauze, to make it even more dense, while maintaining the speed of drying, typical of hana-fukin. The more these dishcloths are washed, the softer and more comfortable to the touch they become. It also works great as an alternative to cheese cloths for straining and for covering jars with a breathable cloth, such as when brewing kombucha.
