Yakitori (Japanese Grilled Chicken Skewers)

Binchotan (備長炭) is a Japanese white charcoal made from holm oak (ubame-gashi), carbonised at very high temperature in a specific way that makes it exceptionally dense and hard. It burns at 800 to 1000°C with almost no smoke and produces intense radiant heat. The key property for yakitori is that when chicken fat drips onto binchotan it does not flare up — instead the fat ignites briefly, producing a fragrant vapour that bastes the chicken in its own smoke. Regular charcoal briquettes flare aggressively, charring the exterior. If binchotan is unavailable, high-quality lump hardwood charcoal (not briquettes) is an acceptable substitute. Gas grills can produce excellent yakitori but lack the fat-vapour-smoke element that makes binchotan grilling distinct.

Yakitori restaurants offer a wide range of cuts, each with a specific character. Negima (ねぎま) — thigh with long onion, the most popular style. Momo (もも) — plain thigh, juicy and flavourful, always with tare. Kawa (皮) — crispy rendered chicken skin, fatty and addictive. Sasami (ささみ) — breast tenderloin, lean and delicate, always shio. Tsukune (つくね) — chicken meatball on a skewer, bound with egg yolk. Hatsu (ハツ) — chicken heart, chewy and mineral-rich. Rebā (レバー) — liver, traditionally served slightly pink in the center in Japan (cook fully outside Japan). Bonjiri (ぼんじり) — fatty tail piece, very rich, a delicacy. All parts are grilled the same way; cooking times vary slightly by thickness.

These are the two fundamental seasoning styles for yakitori. Shio (塩, salt) — the simplest and arguably most refined style: the chicken is seasoned only with coarse salt during and after grilling, and sometimes finished with a squeeze of yuzu or lemon. Shio is the correct style for delicate, less fatty cuts where the natural chicken flavor should shine without being masked by sauce. Tare (タレ, glaze) — the sweet-savory soy-based glaze that builds up in layers during the multiple dip-and-grill cycles. Tare is ideal for fattier cuts (thigh, skin, tail) where the rendered fat needs the counterbalance of saltiness and sweetness, and where the caramelisation adds complexity. In Japan, a table at a yakitori restaurant might order both styles of the same cut to compare them.

Yes — the broiler (grill function) of a home oven is the standard substitute. Preheat the broiler to maximum temperature for 10 minutes. Line a baking sheet with foil and place a wire rack on top. Arrange the skewers on the rack so the chicken is 5 to 7 cm below the broiler element. Broil for 5 to 6 minutes, remove and brush with tare, return, broil 2 to 3 minutes, brush again, repeat. Total time 12 to 15 minutes. The lack of charcoal smoke means the result is cleaner and less complex, but the caramelisation and glaze are fully achievable. A cast-iron grill pan at maximum heat is another option — the ridges produce grill marks and the high heat builds char.

In the izakaya tradition, yakitori is eating food — it exists in the context of drinking. The classic pairing is cold beer (especially pale lager or pilsner, which cuts through the fat and sweetness) or cold sake (particularly junmai or honjozo styles). Highball (whisky and soda) is increasingly the modern Tokyo standard. Food accompaniments: a small bowl of extra tare for dipping; coarse salt and lemon wedges for shio-style; shichimi togarashi (seven-spice powder) for those who want heat; Japanese rice (gohan) if serving as a meal rather than a bar snack; Japanese pickles (tsukemono) for acidity. Yakitori should always be eaten immediately off the grill — it deteriorates within minutes as the glaze stiffens and the chicken loses its juiciness.