Food: Reba Yakitori – Japanese Grilled Liver Skewer

About the Picture

Who doesn’t love food in Japan? Right?! Here we have grilled Reba Yakitori (liver yakitori), photographed and then eaten in Tokyo, Japan from a small food stand.

Food in Japan is amazing, I love it all! Sushi in the summer, ramen in winter, but there is one problem, I do not live in Japan, so I only can enjoy it once in a while when I have a chance to travel there.

Anyway, let’s talk about yakitori, tasty meats grilled on skewers, on the picture we have Reba Yakitori, grilled liver. I’m not quite sure if the one I had was chicken liver, but I assume it is. Chicken liver is the most popular one when it comes to yakitori. So you can trust me on that, and you might not be mistaken.

If you’ve been to Japan, you must know what yakitori is, as it’s quite popular dish. Often served in izakayas (Japanese pubs) and street food stalls. Reba yakitori, has rich flavor, balanced by a smoky char from the grill and a the sauce, which is soy-based.

If you have never been to Japan, but love Japanese cuisine, I’m going to share few interesting facts with you.

Reba yakitori is not the only one you can try in Japan, most probably you guessed it anyway. You can find all sorts of meats on the skewers, often with some vegetables as well.

They can be found in many places, tourists and Japanese people love to enjoy them with drinks like sochu, highball whiskey or with beer. You can find them in food stands, izakayas and even supermarkets. If you travel to Tokyo, there is actually a place everybody should visit.

I’m talking about Omoide Yokocho, a few minutes walk away from Shinjuku station. A place packed with small bars, serving yakitori and drinks. Widely popular among tourists, and it’s just a beautiful spot in Shinjuku. Hard to describe, has to be seen.

The picture was not taken there though. If you wondered.

And it’s actually a healthy snack (I mean the liver yakitori), liver is packed with nutrients, including iron and vitamin A. In Japan, it’s even recommended as a nutrient-rich snack for people with anemia.

In Japanese culture, yakitori is often shared amongst friends over casual conversations. It’s a dish that brings people together, making it a quintessential part of social dining in Japan.

Also, liver skewers like reba are believed to have aphrodisiac qualities in Japanese folklore, thanks to the organ’s high nutrient density.

What’s great about yakitori, is its price. Every skewer cost about 100-200 yen per stick. Like a 1-2 dollars. So it all depends, how addicted to them you’ll become as it’s quite easy to just say… one more please!

Download this picture of reba (レバー) yakitori for free, great addition to any blog discussing Japanese cuisine, street food culture, or even food photography tips.

If savory isn’t what you’re looking for, why not explore the sweet side of Japanese street food? Check out my picture of Isobe Dango, a delightful grilled rice dumpling coated in soy sauce and wrapped in nori (seaweed).

I hope you like the picture and it makes you a bit hungry.