Tsuji's documentation of yakimono (grilled things) establishes the fundamental logic of Japanese grilling — an approach to heat, distance, and timing that differs from Western grilling in its emphasis on moderate rather than maximum heat, and on the layering of a tare glaze that builds through multiple applications during cooking.
Japanese grilling technique — fish, poultry, and vegetables cooked over charcoal (binchotan preferred) or under a broiler at controlled distance, with teriyaki preparations receiving multiple applications of tare (soy-mirin-sake reduction) during cooking.
- Distance from heat: Japanese grilling uses moderate rather than maximum heat proximity — approximately 10cm from binchotan coals for most preparations. Too close produces char before the interior cooks; too far produces drying rather than grilling [VERIFY distance] - Salt-grilled fish (shioyaki): salt applied 30 minutes before grilling draws surface moisture, producing a dry surface that crisps immediately on contact with heat. The salt also flavours and firms the flesh [VERIFY time] - Teriyaki glaze application: the tare is applied in three or four separate brushings during cooking, each allowed to caramelise before the next is applied. Multiple thin layers produce a deeper, more complex glaze than a single thick application - The tare formula: soy sauce, mirin, sake, and sugar — simmered to a reduction that coats a spoon. [VERIFY ratio: approximately 3:2:1:1 soy:mirin:sake:sugar] - Binchotan charcoal produces radiant heat with minimal flame — the infrared radiation cooks from within as much as from without, producing a moist interior under the caramelised exterior Decisive moment: The glaze at the final application — the tare should be lacquered and glossy, slightly sticky to the touch, with a deep amber-mahogany colour. Applied correctly, it should not be tacky when the food is served — the sugars should have caramelised fully.
ZAITOUN THIRD BATCH + TSUJI JAPANESE ADDITIONAL