Yakitori

Yakitori being grilled

Several yakitories in food court areas

Yakitori (焼き鳥, やきとり, ヤキトリ^?), grilled chicken, is commonly a Japanese type of skewered chicken. The term "yakitori" can also refer to skewered food in general. Kushiyaki (skewer grilled), is a formal term that encompasses both poultry and non-poultry items, skewered and grilled. Both yakitori and kushiyaki mean the same, so the terms are used interchangeably in Japanese society.

Preparation [edit]

Yakitori is made with several bite-sized pieces of chicken meat, or chicken offal, mounted on a bamboo skewer and grilled, usually over Binchōtan charcoal.

Diners ordering yakitori usually have a choice of having it cooked with salt (shio), or with tare sauce, which is generally made up of mirin, sake, soy sauce and sugar. The sauce is applied to the skewered meat which is grilled until delicately cooked.

momo (もも), chicken thigh
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
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, all white meat on skewer

Common non-poultry dishes [edit]

ikada (筏) (lit. raft), Japanese scallion, with two skewers to prevent rotation
gyūtan (牛タン), beef tongue, sliced thinly
atsuage tōfu (厚揚げとうふ), thicker variety of deep-fried tofu
enoki maki (エノキ巻き), enoki mushrooms wrapped in slices of pork
pīman (ピーマン), green bellpepper
asuparabēkon (アスパラベーコン), asparagus wrapped in bacon
butabara (豚ばら), pork belly
ninniku (にんにく）garlic
shishito (獅子唐) Japanese pepper