Overview
Yakitori (焼き鳥) are grilled chicken skewers made from bite-sized pieces of various chicken parts, including breast, thigh, skin, liver, and other innards. Typically cooked over charcoal and made to order, yakitori is a popular and affordable dish often enjoyed with a glass of beer. The best yakitori is served at specialty restaurants called yakitori-ya, but it can also be found at many other eateries across Japan, such as izakaya and festival food stalls.
Popular Yakitori Varieties
Negima (ねぎま) is one of the most popular yakitori types, consisting of chicken pieces (usually thigh meat) skewered with leek slices in between.
Momo (もも) refers to chicken thigh meat, so momo skewers are simply pieces of chicken thigh grilled to perfection.
Tsukune (つくね) are chicken meatballs made from minced chicken, egg, vegetables, and spices. They are typically formed into small balls or a single long patty.
Torikawa (とりかわ), sometimes just called kawa (かわ), are strips of fatty chicken skin grilled until crispy.
Tebasaki (手羽先) are chicken wings grilled to a crispy golden brown, often served in pairs.
Reba (レバー) are skewered chicken livers, named after the German word for liver.
Nankotsu (なんこつ) is cartilage from the keel bone between the chicken breasts. It has little meat but a crunchy texture and is rich in collagen.