Yakitori

Yakitori (Japanese: 焼き鳥) (literally 'grilled bird') is a Japanese type of skewered chicken. Its preparation involves attaching the meat to a skewer, typically made of steel, bamboo, or similar materials, after which it is grilled over a charcoal fire. During or after cooking, the meat is typically seasoned with tare sauce or salt.^[1] The term is sometimes used informally for kushiyaki (grilled and skewered foods) in general.

Yakitori being freshly grilled in Tokyo

Preparation

As it is designed for convenience and portability, yakitori is 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 takujō konro (卓上コンロ, "mini griller")^[2] or yakitori-ki (焼き鳥器, "yakitori device") 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.

Several yakitori in food court areas

Yakitori are sold at sports matches.

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 the ingredients to cook quickly while imparting a crunchy texture to the skin. Although 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, a special sauce consisting of mirin, sake, soy sauce, and sugar is used. Other common spices include powdered cayenne pepper, shichimi, Japanese pepper, black pepper, yuzu kosho and wasabi, according to one's tastes.

Sales

Yakitori-ya (焼き鳥屋) are small shops specializing in yakitori. They usually take the form of a compact shop offering take-out services only,^[3] but sit-down restaurants and restaurant chains are also popular.^[1]

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,^[4] with nine flavors as of 2016. Their TV commercial song has been iconic to their brand name.^[5]

Due to its ease of preparation and portability, yakitori becomes a very popular street food that is 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.^[6]