Yakimono: Grilling (Shio-Yaki and Teriyaki)

Grilling over charcoal (sumiyaki) has been central to Japanese cooking since the Yayoi period. Shio-yaki, with its absolute minimalism — just salt on excellent fish over clean charcoal — reflects the Shinto aesthetic of uncorrupted nature. Teriyaki (teri = lustre from the glaze, yaki = grilled) developed as a technique for fish and poultry that benefits from the sweetness of mirin and the Maillard development of soy. The lacquered surface that gives teriyaki its name is a visual indication of correct technique.

Yakimono — grilled things — encompasses two fundamental approaches: shio-yaki (salt-grilling) and teriyaki (glazed grilling). They are not interchangeable styles or preference choices. Shio-yaki is the correct method for fish of exceptional quality where the natural flavour must be the entire dish. Teriyaki is the correct method for fish or chicken where the Maillard glaze is the dish. The choice is made before the flame is lit, and neither apologises for the other.

• Korean galbi gui and bulgogi use the same marinade-then-grill-then-glaze principle
• Peruvian anticuchos apply similar salt-plus-charcoal directness to offal
• The teriyaki concept travels globally because the Maillard-on-soy-glazed-protein combination is one of the most compelling flavour combinations in any cuisine

Shio-yaki is the purest Maillard application in Japanese cooking — nothing between the protein and the heat except salt, which promotes surface drying and therefore faster, more even browning. As Segnit notes, salt and fish is not seasoning in the conventional sense — it is a textural and flavour transformation agent. The teriyaki glaze adds Maillard compounds from the soy (amino acids + sugars) and the sweetness of mirin, creating a flavour architecture that frames the fish's natural character rather than replacing it — provided the glaze is thin and applied correctly.