Yakitori (grilled chicken skewers) and Kushiyaki (roasted foods on skewers)

Last updated: 28 April 2017

A typical food loved by ordinary Japanese people. There are many yakitori (grilled chicken skewers) restaurants standing side by side all around Japan, especially in a downtown areas.

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Basic Knowledges for Yakitori and Kushiyaki

Yakitori, grilled chicken skewers, are the meal that uses various parts of chicken. The meat are cut into bite-sized pieces and 3 to 5 pieces of them are skewed with a bamboo stick, then grilled over a charcoal fire. When using meat other than chicken, vegetables, and seafood, the meal is called kushiyaki, roasted foods on skewers.

Standard Dishes of Yakitori

There are a variety of Yakitori menu: Momo, dark meat from the leg, chewy and rich taste; Negima, sandwiching pieces of Japanese leek between pieces of chicken; Sasami, special part of chicken breast with much taste and less fat; Tebasaki, chicken wings with plenty of collagen; Leba, chicken livers; and Tsukune, chicken meatballs.

Standard Dishes of Kushiyaki

Anything can become the ingredients for Kushiyaki; beef, chicken, seafood, vegetables, and combination of all those meat and vegetables. Some restaurants even serve cheeses, atsuage (fried tofu), rice cakes, and sausages in this form. Choice of ingredients, skewering methods, and arrangements are unique to each restaurant.

Seasoning of Yakitori and Kushiyaki

There are two ways of seasoning, shio (salt) for plain taste and tare (sauce) for rich and sweet spicy taste. Most of yakitori restaurants let you choose whichever you like.

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Category
Yakitori
Japan Travel Encyclopedia

*This information is from the time of this article's publication.
*Prices and options mentioned are subject to change.
*Unless stated otherwise, all prices include tax.

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