Yakitori (やきとり) — Food in Japan
Yakitori (やきとり) is a traditional food in Japan that consists of a bite-sized chicken stab on a skewer and grill on an open fire. When it comes to chicken on a stick, the Japanese have their own best version of what locals call Yakitori. The custom of grilling and eating chicken meat has been around since ancient times. Locals usually coat yakitori with a sweet and savory glaze sauce. This dish is popular regardless of the season. Now, there is a lot of information for yakitori so let us get to know more about it.
Etymology
The name “Yakitori” also has its own meaning or etymology. Yakitori (焼き鳥) meaning “grilled chicken” is from “yaki (焼き)” meaning “grilled” or “toasted” and “tori (鳥) which means “bird”.
What is Yakitori?
Yakitori is a popular Japanese-style skewered chicken. Locals grilled the skewered chicken with sauce and salt. In general, they also have pork, beef, and vegetable type of skewers (leek, onion, garlic, shiitake mushrooms, ginkgo, etc.) Yakitori ingredients such as pork, beef, and horse meat vary from region to region, and it seems that it is more common to use meat other than birds/chicken.
These chicken skewers are typically served as an appetizer, although they are hearty enough to serve as a full meal with some other dishes on the side. Most yakitori restaurants will offer only two options for flavoring: salt and white pepper, or a sweet soy sauce-and-mirin glaze.
History of Yakitori
The history of yakitori stems from its main ingredient, the meat of chicken. The ancestors of chickens were originally wild birds, and locals said that chickens were introduced to Japan as livestock at the end of the Neolithic period. In the Heian period, Japan banned locals from eating chicken, and the wild birds are the replacement for these. During the Muromachi period, locals invented making “bird skewers”, and they now know wild birds such as pheasants exist.
In the middle of the Edo period, the recipe for sticking chicken on a skewer appears. Moreover, it seems that in this period, locals created the original form of the current yakitori. In the Meiji era, yakitori stalls also appeared. Additionally, the number of shops selling chicken meat, internal organs, and pork and beef skewers increased.
During the early Showa period, the chicken was still an expensive ingredient that is why high-class yakitori restaurants appear. From the United States, broilers were introduced in Japan in the latter half of the Showa ’30s and became popular, and the number of popular yakitori restaurants increased. Broiler is not the name of a chicken breed, but the name of a young bird that locals bred so that it will be fatten in a short period. In the Heisei era, local chickens, whose distribution volume was small for a while, came into the limelight in search of food safety and high quality.
Types of Yakitori
If you think that skewers don’t have classifications, then you are wrong. This yakitori has two classifications; one is with sauce and with salt. You will notice that this classification depends upon their seasonings.
Sauce
Negima
Whole chicken meat is cut into bite-sized pieces and alternated with small sliced pieces of spring onion. This dish is a popular Yakitori choice. Speaking of Negima, there is one that serves Negima as a hotpot, they call it “ Negima Nabe “.
Kawa
Select pieces of chicken skin. The somewhat thicker and juicier neck area provides the best pieces. This dish is a big hit with customers who like fatty tastes. When hot, it drips enticingly with pretty sparkling sweet and salty juices.
Tsukune
Small dumplings consist of a mixed-finely minced chicken, egg, and potato starch then skewered onto a stick for grilling. Regional variations make this dish interesting, such as recipe changes like adding finely chopped cartilage to the mixture or eating style.
Liver
Chicken Liver. Known for its unique supple texture, the chicken liver is also packed full of nourishing Vitamins A, C, E, B2, and the amino acid Glutathione (GSH).
Heart
The grilled chicken hearts need a professional touch to bring out the delicate elasticity of this dish’s ingredients.
Saygimo
Saygimo or chicken kidneys, from their shape, locals also call these sometimes “Azuki beans”. It has a taste similar to the chicken liver but with a more grainy surface texture and density.
Salt
Classic Chicken
You can make a classic yakitori by cutting chicken thighs or breast meat into bite-sized pieces and sticking them on skewers.
Chicken Fillet
Specially chosen high-quality cuts of breast meat. Lean and tender, with an abundance of protein. Some stores serve this with condiments such as Wasabi or Perilla leaves.
Chicken Wings
The wings of the chicken consist of three sections, all of which locals can grill for this dish. Being abundantly full of Collagen protein makes this dish popular with women.
Seseri
Neck meat. Just the right amount of fat and firmness makes this cut highly appetizing. The juices continue to squeeze out as you chew, prolonging the flavor. This is a rare dish, as only a small amount of this meat is in a single chicken.
Chest cartilage
The grilled cartilage is from specific parts of the chicken, such as the breastbone “Kappa”, between the neck bone and thigh bone, or knee cartilage “Genkotsu”. You can easily enjoy this one because of its unique crunchy consistency, this dish is almost always with salt.
Gizzard
Gizzard or chicken’s muscle. Of the chicken’s 2 stomachs, the gizzard has a surrounding double muscle that is odorless and has a pleasant crisp texture.
Yakitori Recipe
Now in this section, let’s get to know the yakitori recipe. First, the yakitori ingredients that need. It needs chicken, leek, salt, oil, soy sauce, mirin, and sugar.
Originally published at https://foodinjapan.org on July 26, 2021.
