Skewered Street Food Around The World

Yakitori has grown in popularity in Japan and world wide over the last 60+ years. This recipe for Yakitori – Japanese Grilled Chicken Skewers is a delicious easy to make chicken skewer that when grilled over charcoal gives some authenticity to the flavor.

Charcoal – Japan’s Secret to Cooking Yakitori

Street vendors and restaurants in Japan use a charcoal called Binchotan which burns at a very high temperature almost 1000° and doesn’t produce much flame.

If you don’t have a Bincho Grill no worries, search out some good quality charcoal that produces high heat or move your grill grate closer to the heat if you can. The reason being, higher temperature gives the marinated meat a good sear to lock in the juicy flavors in the meat.

Jealous Devil Charcoal is a great brand of lump charcoal that produces a consistently high heat. Plus, they make a Bintochan style too! Maybe I should give Bintochan charcoal a try in the Kamado Joe Jr., it may produce an amazing grilling result.

Yakitori the Literal Translation

The word Yakitori comes from combining two Japanese words – yaki meaning grill and tori meaning bird. Yakitori origin is more than 1300 years old.

Japanese Buddhist culture dictated that livestock such as cows, horses and chickens were prohibited to eat. But birds thought to be medicinal, pheasants, quail and other small game birds that could be hunted could be eaten.

Street Food Appears in Japan

During the late 1800s, Yakitori street food became popular. Because of the price of fowl, off cuts of meat from birds became standard use . Plus, Yakitori viewed as a meal for the wealthy.

It wasn’t until the 1960s, thinking regarding chicken changed, it was more available and cheaper.

Restaurants and street vendors began using protected or specific breeds of chicken making it safer to eat as well. Because of the lower prices, better quality and availability, chicken popularity took off and Yakitori soon became a national dish.

Becoming a High End Delicacy

Now you can find Yakitori made with many different parts of birds, and with many different flavors of marinade.

I am sure Yakitori made with the ‘oyster of the chicken’ would make a tender delicious skewer. Don’t worry chicken ‘oysters’ have nothing to do with ‘rocky mountain oysters’.

Chicken oysters are a tender part of the thigh that connects to the bones of the carcass. Many times it is overlooked when chicken is cut apart.

Sometimes the ‘oyster’ needs to be removed by sliding your thumb between the meat and bone to remove it. It is the most tender part of the chicken because it doesn’t get much use.

You are going to want Yakitori – Japanese Grilled Chicken Skewers again and again! Enjoy!