Japanese · appetizer
Yakitori (焼き鳥)
Yakitori (焼き鳥) reads sweetness 4.7, umami 4.0 and salinity 3.7 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Japanese appetizer, about 40 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.
The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10
- Umami & Savory — 4.6 / 10
- Sweet & Fruity — 5.1 / 10
- Sour & Bright — 2.5 / 10
- Bitter & Earthy — 0.9 / 10
- Rich & Fat — 1.9 / 10
- Aromatic & Spice — 1.4 / 10
The measured notes (of 18)
Sweetness 4.7 · Umami 4.0 · Salinity 3.7 · Funk & Ferment 2.9 · Sourness 2.2 · Richness 1.6 · Floral 1.4 · Fruity 1.4 · Nutty 1.0 · Citrus 0.9 · Bitterness 0.8
What's in it (8)
- 1.5 lbs chicken thigh, breast, liver, and skin, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 12 bamboo skewers
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 3 tbsp mirin
- 3 tbsp sake
- 1 tbsp sugar
- salt to taste
- 1/3 cup tare glaze
Time & effort: about 40 min (35 min active) · effort: easy
Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 156.8 kcal, 3.3 g protein, 14.9 g fat, 2.4 g carbs
Dietary: Contains meat — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.
How it's cooked (3 steps)
- Thread pieces of chicken or offal onto skewers, alternating with lengths of scallion if desired.
- Grill over hot binchotan charcoal, rotating frequently, brushing repeatedly with sweet tare sauce in the final minutes.
- Season plain skewers with just salt instead for the shio style.
Dishes with a similar flavor shape
- Kabocha no Nimono (Pumpkin Simmered in Dashi) — Japanese
- Chicken Katsu with Tonkatsu Sauce — Japanese
- Pork Tonkatsu — Japanese
- Kinpira Gobo (Braised Burdock and Carrot with Sesame) — Japanese
- Chicken Katsu Sandwich — Japanese
Keep reading: what sweetness, umami, salinity mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.
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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.