{"id":42000,"date":"2023-04-13T00:05:26","date_gmt":"2023-04-13T07:05:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/iamafoodblog.com\/?p=42000"},"modified":"2023-04-12T21:49:56","modified_gmt":"2023-04-13T04:49:56","slug":"vegetable-yakitori","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/iamafoodblog.com\/vegetable-yakitori\/","title":{"rendered":"Japanese Vegetable Skewers aka Vegetable Yakitori"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you love grilled vegetables, you\u2019re going to love Japanese grilled vegetable yakitori. <\/strong><\/p>\n

Eating grilled vegetables off a stick is simply the best, it\u2019s the only way to do it! The best grilled vegetable yakitori I\u2019ve ever had were in Tokyo. I still dream of them today: fresh from the farm vegetables skewered onto wooden sticks lightly grilled over charcoal and dipped in an addictive sweet and savory sauce.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019ve been to Japan, you\u2019ve most likely have indulged in yakitori: smoky, tender, juicy skewers of grilled chicken either dipped in a savory sauce or sprinkled with salt. Yakitori is the ultimate food. It can be fancy (think 3 Michelin starred restaurants) or be made at home. The chicken yakitori is amazing, but even better are the vegetable skewers. Most fancy yakitori places actually place higher value on the vegetable skewers because seasonal vegetables are exceptional and high value in Japan. You can get special vegetables like the first negi of spring(extra large Japanese green onions) or roasted gingko nuts.<\/p>\n

What is yakitori?<\/h2>\n

Yakitori is Japan\u2019s answer to grilled chicken. Yakitori is bite-size pieces of chicken threaded onto skewers and grilled over binchotan, a special Japanese charcoal that gets extra hot. The skewers come seasoned with salt (shio) or sauce (tare).<\/p>\n

Is yakitori chicken only?<\/h2>\n

Yakitori is technically chicken but colloquially, people refer to all grilled Japanese skewers as yakitori. Even at specialized yakitori shops, they have skewers of things like quail eggs, beef, pork, mochi, and vegetables.<\/p>\n

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What is vegetable yakitori<\/h2>\n

Vegetable yakitori is kind of a misnomer, but essentially, it\u2019s vegetables skewers grilled yakitori style \u2013 that is, bite-sized pieces of vegetables threaded onto short skewers and grilled until tender and slightly charred. Vegetable yakitori can be lightly sprinkled with just salt but here we\u2019re going to make a Japanese tare for a glossy, sweet and savory finish.<\/p>\n

What vegetables for yakitori<\/h2>\n

The best vegetables for grilling are ones that are slightly sturdy but don\u2019t take too long to cook. In this case, we\u2019re going to grill tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini, red onion, bell peppers, king oyster mushrooms, shishito, and asparagus.<\/p>\n

How to cut vegetables for vegetable skewers<\/h2>\n

The best way to cut vegetables for vegetable yakitori is in 3\/4 inch by 2.5 inch sticks. Think carrot sticks, but slightly shorter and stubbier. The baton-like shape makes it easy to thread the vegetables onto skewers and the large surface area helps the vegetables cook quickly and evenly. Here\u2019s how you cut\/prep everything:<\/p>\n