What is teriyaki? It depends on whom you ask.

First, I asked chef Shota Nakajima of Taku Seattle and Kōbo Pizza. “‘Teri’ means glazed. ‘Yaki’ means grilled,” he said on a phone call during a recent trip to Japan. “So it’s a dish that is getting glazed as it’s grilled. That is the original definition of teriyaki.”

It’s believed to have originated during the Edo period in Japan, which lasted between the 17th and 19th centuries. Originally, it was more of a cooking technique than a particular recipe or dish, William Shurtleff and Akiko Aoyagi wrote in “History of Teriyaki.” It involved meat or seafood cooked over direct heat while being brushed with a sauce, or tare, typically consisting of soy sauce, mirin and sake that adds luster and shine.

In the United States, teriyaki is more commonly known as a dish that typically features chicken in a sweet and savory soy-sauce-based glaze. It’s this sauce that has come to define teriyaki in this country.

Food writer Kiki Aranita has a deep appreciation for teriyaki in its American form. “I come with an understanding of teriyaki from a (Hawaiian) perspective, primarily, and to me, it’s very, very American,” said Aranita, who founded Poi Dog sauces. “My husband is a Jewish American, and he also feels perfectly entitled to teriyaki. When we talk about teriyaki and I’m like, ‘Oh, did you ever have those yakitori chicken skewers that were in the frozen section at Costco?’ That was a huge part of what teriyaki to me meant as a kid. And he had a similar experience, growing up in the suburbs of Philadelphia, where he’s like, ‘Teriyaki is such an older Jewish mom dish. That’s their go-to.’”

Teriyaki arrived in Hawaii with Japanese immigrants and then spread to the mainland. As it migrated, it evolved based on the availability of ingredients and the influence of local tastes.

“In Hawaii, we are very informed by the Okinawan immigrants that came to work on our sugar cane plantations, essentially starting from the early 1900s,” Aranita said. (Immigrants from other regions of Japan began arriving a couple of decades earlier.) “I personally am not Japanese or Okinawan, but most of my cousins are, so their aunties, their grandmothers would always marinate Spam in a teriyaki sauce. What teriyaki means to each auntie is a little bit different, but most essentially, it was soy sauce and sugar.”

The addition of sugar makes sense considering early immigrants probably didn’t have access to mirin, a sweetened Japanese cooking wine. Modern teriyaki sauces often include garlic and ginger as well. “The traditional recipe doesn’t have ginger and garlic, but I think adding those aromatics gives a nice kick,” said Rie McClenny, author of “Make It Japanese.” “You can customize it as you like.”

Nakajima has his own line of bottled teriyaki sauce that he sells online and includes ginger, garlic, sesame paste and nutritional yeast. Hawaiian versions of the sauce might also include scallions or pineapple. Even with other popular Hawaiian sauces, such as huli huli, “at the heart, these are just teriyaki sauces with a little bit of embellishment,” Aranita said. “This (union of soy sauce and sugar) is a cornerstone of basically every sauce in Hawaii.”

For my version of teriyaki sauce, I start with the traditional Japanese base of equal parts soy sauce, sake and mirin to use as a quick marinade for boneless, skinless chicken thighs. The sake and mirin add depth of flavor that might otherwise be missing from versions that are primarily soy sauce based. Minced garlic and ginger add even more pop, while a bit of sugar – brown sugar, in this instance – lends an extra touch of sweetness to more closely resemble the plates of chicken teriyaki I remember eating at mall food courts. The sauce cooks down in a skillet with the seared chicken (with water added to achieve the proper consistency and for the chicken to cook fully) until thick and syrupy.

This is similar to how McClenny prepares her own version, but chicken is just one way to go. “Yellowtail is one of the fish we use for teriyaki often,” McClenny said. “You can just have fun with it and try it with different meats and even vegetables.” She recalls her mom frying chicken leg quarters coated in potato starch and serving them with a more traditional Japanese-style sauce flavored with ginger for Christmas. But McClenny said the first thing that teriyaki brings to mind for her is a burger served at McDonald’s in Japan.

Aranita is similar. “When I get off a plane in Hawaii, the first thing I do is go to (the fast-food chain) Zippy’s and get a small fry and a teri burger,” which she describes as a hamburger patty served with a teriyaki sauce made of soy sauce and sugar, probably thickened with cornstarch, and topped with seared onions on a bun. And alongside chicken, teriyaki meatballs are “two classic things you would find in Hawaii that go on plate lunches” with scoops of rice and macaroni salad.

Teriyaki sauce isn’t just a marinade, glaze or condiment; Nakajima also adds it to braises and nabe (Japanese hot pot). He’ll add it to water or stock to use as the liquid to “braise chicken wings with vegetables low, slow in a crockpot and it comes out great.” He’s also mixed it with water, kombu and Szechuan peppercorns to braise mushrooms. Nakajima built a recent nabe with teriyaki sauce, kimchi, short ribs and vegetables.

No matter how you make it or use it, the sweet-savory taste of teriyaki sauce is one that most anyone will love, which might explain all its varied recipes and applications. As Nakajima said from Japan, “At the end of the day, that’s why it’s still popular over here as well, because it is a flavor profile that everyone can feel comfortable with.”

Chicken Teriyaki

2 to 4 servings

Total time: 25 mins

While teriyaki is technically meant to be grilled or broiled, this version cooks chicken thighs in a skillet on the stovetop instead. For the chicken thighs to all be done at the same time, it’s important that they are a similar thickness. If necessary, gently pound the thighs with a mallet to even them out. The sauce is primarily a combination of soy sauce, mirin and sake, so it is not suitable for those looking to avoid alcohol.

Storage: Refrigerate for up to 4 days.

Where to buy: Mirin can be found in Asian markets, well-stocked supermarkets or online. Sake can be found at well-stocked liquor stores.

INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup mirin

1/4 cup sake

1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce

4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds; see headnote)

Peanut, vegetable or other neutral oil

2 to 3 garlic cloves, minced or finely grated

1/4 cup water, plus more as needed

1 tablespoon minced or finely grated fresh ginger

1 tablespoon packed light brown sugar

Steamed white rice and vegetables, for serving

STEPS

In a large bowl, combine the mirin, sake and soy sauce. Add the chicken and massage the marinade into the meat.

Heat a medium (10-inch) skillet over medium-high heat. Brush the pan with oil, then add the chicken, reserving the marinade. Sear until charred and caramelized on both sides, about 3 minutes per side.

Stir the garlic, water, ginger and brown sugar into the reserved marinade and add to the skillet. Cook, flipping the chicken every minute or so and adding more water if the sauce gets too thick, until the liquid has reduced by about two-thirds and the chicken is done, 5 to 7 minutes. The meat should be nicely glazed, and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of each thigh should register at least 165 degrees.

Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and let rest for 2 to 3 minutes, then slice into thin strips. Divide the chicken among bowls filled with white rice and vegetables and serve hot.

Substitutions: For gluten-free, use tamari instead of soy sauce. Boneless, skinless chicken thighs can be used instead of breasts, with an adjustment to the cooking time. Vegetarian or vegan? Use tofu instead of chicken.

Nutrition per serving (1 chicken thigh plus about 1 tablespoon of sauce), based on 4: 280 calories, 12g carbohydrates, 113mg cholesterol, 14g fat, 0g fiber, 25g protein, 4g saturated fat, 799mg sodium, 7g sugar

Copy the Story Link

« Previous

At Thai Tree, traditional food, pop music references and impressive cooking

Next »

These blueberry crumble bars with a granola vibe are naturally sweet