Facts About Yakiniku
Yakiniku, meaning "grilled meat", is a Japanese term that, in its broadest sense, refers to grilled meat cuisine. "Yakiniku" originally referred to western "barbecue" food, the term being popularized by Japanese writer Kanagaki Robun in his Seiyo Ryoritsu in 1872. The term later became associated with Korean-derived cuisine during the early Shōwa period. Due to the Korean War, the terms associated with Korea in Japan were divided into North Korea and South Korea; the reference to a "yakiniku restaurant" arose as a politically correct term for restaurants of either origin.
Today, "yakiniku" commonly refers to a style of cooking bite-size meat (usually beef and offal) and vegetables on gridirons or griddles over a flame of wood charcoals carbonized by dry distillation (sumibi, 炭火) or a gas/electric grill. In many parts of the world, yakiniku is also commonly referred to as "Japanese barbecue". The origin of contemporary yakiniku has become a subject of debate, though it is conventionally considered to have been inspired by similar Korean cuisine. In 2002 the NHK program NHK Ningen Kōza (NHK人間講座, NHK Humanity Lecture) stated that: "While some tend to think that yakiniku came from Korea, it was born in post war Japan." Nonetheless, it remains categorically associated with similar Korean cuisine, with various dishes, such as bulgogi, being modified to better appeal to Japanese tastes.
The present style of yakiniku restaurants are derived from Korean restaurants in Osaka and Tokyo, which opened around 1945. In a yakiniku restaurant, diners order prepared raw ingredients (individually or as a set) which are brought to the table. The ingredients are cooked by the diners on a grill built into the table, several pieces at a time. The ingredients are then dipped in sauces known as tare before being eaten. The most common sauce is made of soy sauce mixed with sake, mirin, sugar, garlic, fruit juice and sesame. Garlic-and-shallot or miso-based dips are sometimes used. Korean side dishes like kimchi, nameul, bibimbap are served alongside.
