Tsukune (つくね) is a chicken meatball skewer — minced chicken mixed with ginger, scallion, and sometimes egg or shiso, shaped onto a skewer and grilled until charred outside and juicy inside. It is typically served with tare glaze and a raw egg yolk for dipping at traditional yakitori restaurants. It is one of the most popular yakitori items. Allergens: chicken, soy in tare, egg in the dipping egg yolk.

← Guides · By Ray Lei · Published 2026-11-14

What do the yakitori names mean (tsukune, negima, kawa, shio vs tare)?

Q: What is the difference between shio and tare yakitori?

Shio (塩, salt) means the skewer is seasoned with just salt and possibly a squeeze of sudachi or lemon. It is the lighter, cleaner preparation that highlights the natural flavor of the meat. Tare (たれ) is a sweet soy sauce glaze — usually made from soy sauce, mirin, sake, and sugar, reduced into a thick, slightly sweet coating. Tare adds a caramelized, umami-rich layer. For delicate cuts (breast, shin, or cartilage), shio lets the texture speak. For richer cuts (thigh, skin, pork belly), tare provides more flavor contrast.

Q: What is negima yakitori?

Negima (ねぎま) is alternating pieces of chicken thigh (momo) and Japanese long onion (negi). The onion softens and sweetens as it grills, complementing the fatty richness of the thigh. Negima is one of the most traditional and widely available yakitori skewers. It works equally well with shio or tare.

Q: What is kawa yakitori?

Kawa (皮) is chicken skin, skewered and grilled until the fat renders and the outer surface becomes crispy and golden. It has a rich, fatty flavor and a contrast between the crunchy exterior and the softer inner layers. It is one of the richest and most indulgent yakitori skewers. Kawa is best with tare to cut the richness.

Yakitori (焼き鳥) literally means "grilled bird" — skewered and charcoal-grilled chicken pieces. Each menu item name describes a specific part of the bird. Shio means salt-seasoned; tare means sweet soy glaze. Negima is thigh with leek; tsukune is a meatball; kawa is crispy skin.

A yakitori restaurant (焼き鳥屋, yakitori-ya) specializes in a single cooking technique — skewering and charcoal-grilling chicken and other ingredients — applied to every part of the bird. The menu is a list of cuts rather than dishes: each item is simply the name of the body part plus your choice of seasoning. First-time visitors often stare at a Japanese yakitori menu wondering how to tell thigh from gizzard from cartilage. This guide makes the vocabulary clear.

Shio versus tare — the fundamental choice

When you order at a yakitori restaurant, the server will almost always ask: 塩にしますか、たれにしますか？ (shio ni shimasu ka, tare ni shimasu ka?) — "Salt or tare?" This is the seasoning choice for each skewer.

塩 (shio, salt): The skewer is seasoned with flaky salt and possibly a squeeze of sudachi citrus. Clean, light, and lets the natural flavor of the cut speak. Recommended for delicate cuts: breast (mune), shin (sasami), and cartilage (nankotsu).
たれ (tare, sweet soy glaze): The skewer is basted with the house tare — a reduction of soy sauce, mirin, sake, and sugar — which caramelizes on the charcoal grill. Sweet, savory, slightly sticky. Recommended for richer cuts: thigh (momo), skin (kawa), and meatballs (tsukune).

Many regulars order some skewers shio and some tare. Saying "omakase de" (おまかせで, chef's choice) lets the server recommend the best seasoning for each cut.

Yakitori cuts and names

Japanese / Romaji	English	Description	Best with	Allergen notes
ねぎま / negima	Chicken thigh and leek	Alternating pieces of thigh (momo) and Japanese long onion (negi); the leek softens and caramelizes on the grill	Shio or tare	Chicken; soy in tare
もも / momo	Chicken thigh	Pure thigh pieces — fatty, juicy, the most forgiving and popular cut for first-timers	Shio or tare	Chicken; soy in tare
胸 / むね / mune	Chicken breast	Leaner than thigh; delicate flavor; benefits from careful cooking (slightly underdone retains moisture)	Shio	Chicken
つくね / tsukune	Chicken meatball	Minced chicken with ginger and scallion, molded onto a skewer; often served with raw egg yolk for dipping	Tare	Chicken; soy in tare; egg in dipping yolk
皮 / かわ / kawa	Chicken skin	Skewered skin grilled until the fat renders and the outer layer crisps; rich and intensely flavored	Tare	Chicken; soy in tare
レバー / rebaa	Chicken liver	Soft, mineral-rich liver; best cooked medium (still slightly pink inside at good restaurants for safety)	Tare	Chicken liver; soy in tare
ハツ / hatsu	Chicken heart	Dense, chewy texture; mild flavor; often cross-cut to open like a flower on the grill	Shio	Chicken
砂肝 / sunagimo	Chicken gizzard	Firm, chewy, slightly crunchy; mild flavor; a popular izakaya snack	Shio	Chicken
なんこつ / nankotsu	Chicken cartilage	Breast or knee cartilage with a distinctive crunch; an acquired texture; a genuine favorite in Japan	Shio	Chicken
しそ巻き / shiso-maki	Perilla-wrapped	Chicken wrapped in a fresh shiso (perilla) leaf; the herb provides a fresh, minty contrast to the char	Shio	Chicken
ピーマン / piman	Green pepper (often stuffed)	Shishito or small green peppers, sometimes filled with chicken or cheese, grilled until blistered	Shio	Dairy if cheese-filled; check with restaurant
エリンギ / eringi	King oyster mushroom	Thick slices of king oyster mushroom, grilled until tender and slightly charred; meaty texture, vegetarian	Shio or tare	Often vegan; soy in tare
アスパラ巻き / aspara maki	Asparagus wrapped in bacon	Asparagus spear wrapped in thin pork belly (sometimes chicken) and grilled — a popular combination	Shio or tare	Pork or chicken; soy in tare
豚バラ / butabara	Pork belly	Skewered pork belly — richer and fattier than chicken; popular at restaurants that serve both chicken and pork	Tare	Pork; soy in tare

Practical notes for ordering yakitori

Order two to three skewers per person per round. Yakitori is ordered in rounds, not all at once. Order a few, eat them, then order more. This keeps the skewers arriving hot off the charcoal grill rather than sitting and drying out.
Start with momo or negima for first-timers. Both are universally enjoyed, forgiving, and represent the core yakitori experience. Add tsukune as a third skewer for a complete introduction.
Tare glazing is applied multiple times on the grill. At traditional yakitori-ya, the cook dips the skewer in house tare, returns it to the grill, dips again, and repeats — building up caramelized layers. This is why tare yakitori at a good restaurant has a depth that bottled sauce cannot replicate.
Allergen note on tare: Tare typically contains soy sauce (which is brewed with wheat), mirin (which may contain wheat), and sesame oil. If you have a soy or wheat allergy, order shio (salt) only and confirm that the shio skewers share no grill contact with tare-glazed skewers.
Liver and gizzard are offal and an acquired taste. If you are new to yakitori, skip reba (liver) and sunagimo (gizzard) on your first visit. Focus on momo, negima, tsukune, and kawa. Return for the offal cuts once you are comfortable with the format.

Translate a yakitori menu with ChefBear

When the yakitori menu is a simple handwritten card in Japanese with no photos, ChefBear scans it, identifies each cut by name, and shows you a photo so you know what you are ordering. Useful at specialist yakitori restaurants where the entire menu is a list of kanji.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between shio and tare yakitori?

Shio (塩, salt) is the skewer seasoned with just salt — clean, light, lets the natural flavor speak. Tare (たれ) is a sweet soy sauce glaze — caramelized, umami-rich, slightly sticky. Shio suits delicate cuts; tare suits richer cuts like thigh, skin, and meatballs.

What is tsukune?

Tsukune (つくね) is a chicken meatball skewer — minced chicken with ginger and scallion, molded onto a skewer and grilled. Typically served with tare glaze and a raw egg yolk for dipping. One of the most popular yakitori items. Contains chicken, soy in tare, and egg in the dipping yolk.

What is negima yakitori?

Negima (ねぎま) is alternating pieces of chicken thigh and Japanese long onion. The onion softens and sweetens as it grills, complementing the fatty richness of the thigh. One of the most traditional yakitori skewers.

What is kawa yakitori?

Kawa (皮) is chicken skin, grilled until the fat renders and the outer surface becomes crispy. It has a rich, fatty flavor with a contrast between crunchy exterior and softer inner layers. Best with tare.

What is nankotsu yakitori?

Nankotsu (なんこつ) is chicken cartilage — typically from the breast bone or knee joints — grilled until it has a satisfying crunch. It is chewy and slightly crunchy with a mild chicken flavor. Best with shio.