Festival Grilled Skewered Chicken

The Quirky Foodster Team

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ (0)

Servings

Ingredients

Chicken thigh, cut into bite-sized pieces — 600 g (1.3 lb)
Spring onions, cut into pieces — 4
Soy sauce — 80 ml (1/3 cup)
Mirin — 60 ml (1/4 cup)
Sugar — 2 tbsp
Sake — 60 ml (1/4 cup)

Method

Thread the chicken pieces onto skewers, alternating with pieces of spring onion.
Combine the soy sauce, mirin, sugar, and sake in a small saucepan and simmer for 8-10 minutes, until slightly thickened into a glaze.
Grill the skewers over hot coals or a hot grill for 10-12 minutes, turning occasionally.
Brush generously with the glaze during the final few minutes of grilling, turning and basting repeatedly for a rich, lacquered finish.
Serve hot, straight off the skewers.

Introduction: Skewered chicken grilled over open coals and glazed with a sweet soy sauce, a lively festival and celebration food that flourished as greater meat consumption developed later in the feudal period.

Cultural Background: Yakitori grew in popularity particularly toward the end of the Edo period, as social and dietary attitudes toward eating meat gradually relaxed, becoming a favoured food at festivals and gatherings, grilled over charcoal at lively stalls.

Tips: Repeated basting and turning near the end of grilling builds up the glaze into a rich, glossy coating.

Variations: Different cuts and parts of the chicken were traditionally used for different skewer varieties, a practice still followed today.

Nutrition: Approx. 320 kcal per serving.

FAQs:

Q: Why did meat-eating attitudes shift over the feudal period?

A: Religious and cultural factors led to periods of restricted meat consumption in earlier Japanese history, with attitudes gradually relaxing over time, particularly by the later Edo period.

Q: Was yakitori associated with a specific setting?

A: Yes, it became especially associated with lively festival stalls and casual eating establishments, grilled fresh over charcoal for waiting customers.