The Art of Grilled Chicken Skewers
Yakitori literally means “grilled chicken,” and it refers to bite-sized pieces of chicken grilled on a bamboo skewer. It's a staple of Japanese pubs (izakaya), a popular street food, and a beloved dish enjoyed by people of all ages. The secret to great yakitori lies in its simplicity: high-quality chicken, precise grilling over charcoal, and a perfect balance of seasoning.
Nose to Tail Eating
One of the fascinating aspects of yakitori is that it uses almost every part of the chicken, a testament to the Japanese principle of not wasting food. While you can find standard cuts like thigh and breast, dedicated yakitori restaurants offer a huge variety of skewers.
Popular types include:
- Momo: Chicken thigh, known for its juicy and flavorful meat.
- Negima: Pieces of chicken thigh alternated with chunks of green onion (negi).
- Tsukune: Chicken meatballs, often made with minced chicken, egg, and spices.
- Kawa: Strips of chicken skin grilled until crispy and golden.
- Tebasaki: Chicken wings.
Shio or Tare?
When you order yakitori, you will almost always be asked to choose your preferred seasoning: shio (salt) or tare (sauce).
- Shio: A simple seasoning of salt that allows the natural flavor of the chicken to shine through.
- Tare: A sweet and savory glaze made from soy sauce, mirin, sake, and sugar. The skewers are dipped in the sauce multiple times during grilling, building up a rich, caramelized coating.
More Than Just Chicken
While chicken is the star, yakitori restaurants often grill other ingredients on skewers as well. You can find delicious skewers of pork belly (butabara), as well as vegetables like asparagus wrapped in bacon, shiitake mushrooms, and sweet peppers.