is a Japanese type of skewered chicken. Its preparation involves skewering the meat with , a type of skewer typically made of steel, bamboo, or similar materials. Afterwards, they are grilled over a charcoal fire. During or after cooking, the meat is typically seasoned with tare sauce or salt. The term is sometimes used informally for '' kushiyaki'' (grilled and skewered foods) in general.

Preparation

As they are designed for convenience and portability, yakitori are typically cooked using step-by-step methods. Traditionally, it was accomplished using portable charcoal grills. That is the method most often employed by yatai, however, restaurants may use stationary grills and, depending on the situation, higher quality binchōtan charcoal. At home, appliances known as or are used. Yakitori-ki are small electrical appliances that use a heating element similar to that of a broiler or toaster to cook the food placed on top. Yakitori in store by sunday driver in Kyoto

Yakitori in store by sunday driver in Kyoto

To facilitate even cooking, the meat is cut into small, roughly uniform shapes and then skewered with ''kushi''; after which the yakitori are seasoned and cooked. Charcoal is the preferred method of cooking as it produces high heat and strong flames while giving off little to no water vapor. This allows for the ingredients to cook quickly while imparting a crunchy texture to the skin. While gas and electric heat sources can be used, they do not develop the same aromas or textures as charcoal-cooked yakitori.

Seasoning

Yakitori seasonings are primarily divided into two types: salty or salty-sweet. The salty type usually uses plain salt as its main seasoning. For the salty-sweet variety,

tare Tare or Tares may refer to: * Tare (armour), a leg and groin protector used in a number of Japanese martial arts * Tare (surname), a surname * Tare (tufted grass), a genus of nine species of tufted grasses * Tare, Rwanda * Tare River, in Roman ...

, a special sauce consisting of mirin, sake,

soy sauce Soy sauce (also called simply soy in American English and soya sauce in British English) is a liquid condiment of Chinese origin, traditionally made from a fermented paste of soybeans, roasted grain, brine, and '' Aspergillus oryzae'' or ''Asp ...

, and

sugar Sugar is the generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. Simple sugars, also called monosaccharides, include glucose, fructose, and galactose. Compound sugars, also called disaccharides or double ...

is used. Other common spices include powdered cayenne pepper,

shichimi , also known as or simply ''shichimi'', is a common Japanese spice mixture containing seven ingredients. Tōgarashi is the Japanese name for ''Capsicum annuum'', a red pepper native to Central and South America, and it is this ingredient that ...

, Japanese pepper, black pepper, and wasabi, according to one's tastes.

Sales

are small shops specializing in yakitori. They usually take the form of a compact shop offering take-out services only, but sit-down restaurants and restaurant chains are also popular. Yakitori is not limited to speciality shops: It is readily found on the menus of izakaya all across Japan and is sold pre-cooked, as frozen vacuum packs, or even canned. The latter was made popular by Hotei Foods Corporation, the first company that started selling yakitori-in-can in 1970, with nine flavors as of 2016. Their TV commercial song has been iconic to their brand name. Due to its ease of preparation and portability, yakitori is a very popular street food, often sold from small carts and stalls known as yatai. Yatai are found, among other places, dotting streets during festivals or on heavily trafficked routes during the evening commute where customers enjoy beer and sake with yakitori.

Examples

Due to a wide diversity in cuts and preparation methods, yakitori takes on many forms. Some popular examples include: * ''momo'' (もも), chicken thigh * ''hasami'' (はさみ), gizzard and spring onion * ''sasami'' (ささみ), breast meat * ''negima'' (ねぎま), chicken and spring onion * '' tsukune'' (つくね), chicken meatballs * ''(tori)kawa'' ((とり)かわ), chicken skin, grilled until crispy * ''tebasaki'' (手羽先), chicken wing * ''bonjiri'' (ぼんじり), chicken tail * ''shiro'' (シロ), chicken small intestines * ''nankotsu'' (なんこつ), chicken

cartilage Cartilage is a resilient and smooth type of connective tissue. In tetrapods, it covers and protects the ends of long bones at the joints as articular cartilage, and is a structural component of many body parts including the rib cage, the neck an ...

* ''hāto / hatsu'' (ハート / ハツ) or kokoro (こころ), chicken heart * ''rebā'' (レバー), liver * ''sunagimo'' (砂肝) or zuri (ずり), chicken gizzard * ''toriniku'' (鶏肉), all white meat on skewer * ''yotsumi'' (四つ身), pieces of chicken breast

Gallery

File:Kushiyaki- assorted kawa (chicken skin), yamaimo (sticky yam), shishito.jpg, Left to right: ''Kawa'' (chicken skin); ''

yamaimo ''Dioscorea japonica'', known as East Asian mountain yam, yamaimo, or Japanese mountain yam, is a type of yam (vegetable), yam (''Dioscorea'') native to Japan (including Ryukyu Islands, Ryukyu and Bonin Islands), Korea, China, Taiwan, and Assam. ...

''; '' shishitō'' File:Torikizoku 20200801-05.jpg, Chicken liver File:Kushiyaki- tsukune, scallion and pork belly.jpg, Left to right: ''Tsukune''; ''negi'' (scallion) and ''butabara'' (pork back ribs) File:Yakitori - Chicken thigh and negi.jpg, ''Negima'' (chicken thigh and scallion)

References

External links

Everyday Japanese Cuisine
{{Authority control Japanese meat dishes Japanese chicken dishes Grilled skewers Street food Japanese cuisine terms