Arrived in Kansai 3/17...

[samurai007]

Originally Posted by Katchan6

have fun MMM

^wow samurai007 your from Wakayama? My family lives there! ^^

Really? What city or town? Tell me a bit about yourself, if you don't mind...

[Kanji_The_Wanderer]

Originally Posted by samurai007

Yakitori is just skewered BBQed chicken, nothing to really worry about there (unless they undercook it).

Really? Are you sure? That can't be all. I have watched quite a few programs on Yakitori and here are a few things I saw them eat:

Intestines, gizzards, cartilage, heart, liver, and tail.

Of course all these pieces were from a chicken, but I found it very strange how almost every piece of the animal is consumed.

[Michigan90]

Originally Posted by Kanji_The_Wanderer

Really? Are you sure? That can't be all. I have watched quite a few programs on Yakitori and here are a few things I saw them eat:

Intestines, gizzards, cartilage, heart, liver, and tail.

Of course all these pieces were from a chicken, but I found it very strange how almost every piece of the animal is consumed.

That may have something to do with Buddhist way of thinking. You should not waste food, and all pieces of plant and animal life should be consumed.

• sasami (ささみ), skinless breast pieces
• kappa (かっぱ), cartilage (from the breast)
• hatsu (ハツ) or kokoro (こころ), heart
• rebā (レバー) or aka (アカ), liver
• sunagimo (砂肝), gizzard
• tsukune (つくね), meatballs
• tebasaki (手羽先), wing
• bonjiri　(ぼんじり), tail
• shiro (シロ), small intestines

[samurai007]

Originally Posted by Kanji_The_Wanderer

Really? Are you sure? That can't be all. I have watched quite a few programs on Yakitori and here are a few things I saw them eat:

Intestines, gizzards, cartilage, heart, liver, and tail.

Of course all these pieces were from a chicken, but I found it very strange how almost every piece of the animal is consumed.

I had lots of Yakitori, and I never had any of that stuff... it was usually just thigh meat. I suppose in some places you could order that stuff if you wanted it, but that isn't the way it's usually served.

[samurai007]

Originally Posted by Michigan90

That may have something to do with Buddhist way of thinking. You should not waste food, and all pieces of plant and animal life should be consumed.

• sasami (ささみ), skinless breast pieces
• kappa (かっぱ), cartilage (from the breast)
• hatsu (ハツ) or kokoro (こころ), heart
• rebā (レバー) or aka (アカ), liver
• sunagimo (砂肝), gizzard
• tsukune (つくね), meatballs
• tebasaki (手羽先), wing
• bonjiri　(ぼんじり), tail
• shiro (シロ), small intestines

The devout Buddhists I knew in Japan tended to be vegetarians and didn't eat any meat...

[ChisaChi]

Maybe they show all the weirder variations because usual yakitori isn't interesting enough for a whole show? All the ones I saw were regular skewered chicken pieces, very yummy

[Michigan90]

Originally Posted by samurai007

The devout Buddhists I knew in Japan tended to be vegetarians and didn't eat any meat...

Some monks tend to be strictly vegetarian, and most practice vegetarianism at least when training at a monastery, but otherwise they eat meat. Kamakura Buddhism de-emphasized vegetarianism somewhat. Eating seafood, eggs and chicken has been tolerated.

[Katchan6]

Originally Posted by samurai007

Really? What city or town? Tell me a bit about yourself, if you don't mind...

i'll PM you...

[MMM]

Originally Posted by Kanji_The_Wanderer

You're only in Japan for 12 days? Why such a short amount of time?

I heard about Yakitori. I have watched shows about it on the Foreign Food channels. A lot of the food presented looks very....unique. I am unsure if I would like such a thing, since a lot of the foods aren't exactly what most people eat.

No internet where I am staying, so I am at an internet cafe right now.

12 days because that's all the time I could take off work.

Originally Posted by reptilesandsamurai

I'll be there on 3/25. Where was the restaurant?

In Nishinomiya...a very local place...but there are surely hundreds if not thousands of delicious yakitori places in Japan.

Originally Posted by samurai007

Yakitori is just skewered BBQed chicken, nothing to really worry about there (unless they undercook it).

Congrats on your trip, MMM! Will you get a chance to visit Wakayama-ken by any chance, my old stomping grounds? What's your itinerary?

I will not be going to Wakayama this time. I was going to visit a friend there, but our schedules didn't match up.

[SSJup81]

Originally Posted by Kanji_The_Wanderer

You're only in Japan for 12 days? Why such a short amount of time?

I heard about Yakitori. I have watched shows about it on the Foreign Food channels. A lot of the food presented looks very....unique. I am unsure if I would like such a thing, since a lot of the foods aren't exactly what most people eat.

Yakitori is really good. I've even made it a few times myself. I first learned in class. It's also a nice appetizer snack. At the sushi restaurant that my cousin and I frequent at times, we might get some.

That aside, the main part of the chicken that seems to be used for the dish is skinless, boneless thighs.