What You Need to Know
In Japanese cuisine, robatayaki , often shortened to robata, refers to a method of cooking, similar to barbecue, in which items of food are cooked at varying speeds over hot charcoal. Many Japanese restaurants, both in Japan and abroad, specialize in this style of food preparation. Traditionally, the food consists of a combination of morsels of seafood and vegetables, but other kinds of food that are suitable for grilling may also be offered. The robata cooking style is different from other Japanese charcoal cooking in that it uses a wide, flat open fireplace in the style of an irori, rather than a shichirin or other type of charcoal cooking implement.
Steps
- 1.
Yakitori (Japan): Essential for achieving the characteristic smoky-sweet flavor profile
- 2.
Tsukune (Japan): Creates caramelized crust while keeping interior juicy
- 3.
Grilled eggplant (nasu) (Japan): Imparts smoky depth to the vegetable