TRG Info and Advice

It is said that yakiniku (grilled meat) culture first blossomed after World War II. There is a commonly accepted theory on the birth of Yakiniku. It states that the origin of yakiniku is “horumon-yaki” (grilled beef or pork offal) which is considered to have been introduced by Koreans in Japan.

In the days of severe food shortage after the war, Koreans in Japan who were good at using meat, obtained the beef and pork innards that Japanese people discarded, and opened stalls in the black market. Here, after being grilled over an open fire, they were served and grew popular. Theory has it that later, at these Horumon-yaki stalls, loin and short ribs came to be used, and that they eventually developed into present-day yakiniku restaurants.

But there is another theory that challenges this idea head-on. Several documents show that, before the Meiji era and mainly in mountainous regions, Japanese ate meat from birds, wild boars, etc. after grilling it over an open fire. So, even in prewar days, there were stews with innards and grilled innards on skewers, using beef or pork offal. It is also written that, in the 1930s, the style of “grilling and eating meat on the spot,” such as grilled short ribs and sukiyaki-style bulgogi (a Korean dish of grilled beef), which were popular in Seoul in those days, was already being introduced in Osaka by Korean immigrants. This goes against the common theory that yakiniku was born after the war. The latter theory does not deny the possibility that Korean-style yakiniku was eaten only among the immigrants, but yakiniku cuisine was actually covered by a newspaper in the early 1930s. It is estimated, also, that in the prewar days, something like Korean barbecue was imported, and yakiniku had a certain degree of recognition. What’s more, this theory has it that the prototype of present Japanese yakiniku restaurants was established in the mid-1930s.

In South Korea, the home of yakiniku, chefs grill meat before the eyes of customers, cut it into pieces with scissors, then divide it and dish it up on plates. This style is different from the Japanese way, in which customers grill the meat themselves. The tradition of customers cooking for themselves, such as the hot pot culture and dishes like sukiyaki, already existed in Japan, so the Korean style might have naturally changed into the practice of customers grilling the meat themselves.

Soon after the war, what is considered the very first yakiniku restaurant (whose style persists even today) went into business. In the 1950s the present form of yakiniku restaurants is thought to have appeared, and it seems that the style of choosing and eating various parts of meat was already in practice. In a period of high economic growth, from the late 1950s till the 1960s, yakiniku spread from cities like Tokyo and Osaka to various parts of Japan, and, practically overnight, became a popular menu. What prompted this quick rise was the development and sale of yakiniku sauces! Enabling people to enjoy yakiniku at home easily, these sauces gave birth to the “Tsuke-dare” (dipping sauce) culture, unique to Japan, in which people grill unseasoned meat and dip it into sauce before eating. This way of preparing and eating meat reduced burning and smoke, and made yakiniku more acceptable in ordinary homes. In 1970, the electric griddle came into being and its use spread rapidly, making yakiniku an even more popular household menu.

Another thing: the smokeless roaster came into being. Until then, yakiniku restaurants were usually filled with smoke, but the invention of a roaster that absorbs smoke helped restaurants succeed in attracting women and families as customers, too. In this way, the present style of yakiniku restaurants was finally established, and the Japanese way of eating yakiniku, using dipping sauces and the smokeless roaster, has now been reimported to South Korea.

Yakiniku is a dish you eat while grilling meat (beef, pork, etc.) on an iron plate or a gridiron placed over a fire. Vegetables and seafood may also be grilled at the same time, but all these grilled things are collectively called “yakiniku.” Beef is mainly used for “yakiniku,” and a wide variety of parts are eaten, including short ribs, sirloin and tongue, as well as organ meats like tripe. At yakiniku restaurants they provide not only animal flesh such as pork, chicken and lamb but also Vienna sausage, fishes, shellfishes and vegetables. They offer abundant side dishes such as Korean-style rice and noodles, too. By the way, grilled lamb dishes (Mongolian mutton barbecue) are called “Genghis Khan” in Japan.

Sauses
There are various kinds of sauces such as ones based on soy sauce, salt, miso and citrus fruits (lemon, sudachi citrus, etc.). There are two types of sauces: sauces for immersing and seasoning meat beforehand; and ones for dipping meat after grilling.

• ・Sukiyaki
• ・Shabu Shabu
• ・Teppanyaki