Yakitori is a Japanese type of skewered chicken commonly served in izakaya. Traditionally it consisted only of different parts of chicken and vegetables on skewers called kushi.
Seasoning
The two classic ways of seasoning yakitori are simply with salt, or with a sauce called tare, made mainly of soy sauce, sugar and sake, among others, which gives it a sweeter-saltier taste. After seasoning the skewers, they are grilled on a grill and after a little time, they’re ready to eat.
Where can they be eaten?
As I mentioned above, they can be easily found at izakayas for a good price. However, it is not surprising to find on the streets small stores specializing in yakitori called 焼き鳥屋 or yakitori-ya. They are usually small stores that offer yakitori take-out services.
It is also very typical to find small stalls (yatai) selling yakitori. These stalls flood the streets during festivals or on heavily trafficked routes during the evening commute where customers enjoy beer and sake with yakitori.
Lots of variety when it comes to yakitori
Different parts of the chicken can be consumed, from momo (chicken thigh), mune (chicken breast) or sasami (inner breast meat) to hatsu (heart), reba (liver) or kawa (chicken skin).
However, it has evolved to include vegetables, beef, pork and even fish and seafood.
And the Yakitori award goes to… rebā (liver)!
As an izakaya lover, I always like to accompany my beloved Umeshu soda with a few yakitori. For some foreigners, the idea of eating parts such as heart or liver may be difficult as they are not part of their country’s gastronomy. One of the dishes in Spanish gastronomy is liver with onion (which I love), so for me, liver yakitori is a delight. In fact, reba yakitori with tare sauce is my favorite! Even if the idea doesn’t sound appealing to your ears, give the liver a chance. You’ll find it’s better than you expected.
