Sections of chicken meat

■Seseri (せせり)
Name: Seseri / neck
Position: Taken from the neck, only a small amount can be taken from each bird
Characteristics: Seseri meat is very juicy but very tight, having a lot of muscle and more fat than leg meat, making for a texture of elasticity.

■Heart (はつ)
Name: Heart / hatsu
Position: Chicken’s heart
Characteristics: Has a crisp crunchy texture, but also tenderness unique to internal organs.

■Breast meat (むね肉)
Name: Seseri / neck
Position: Taken from the neck above the breast.
Characteristics: Low in fat, this section can become dried out if cooked for too long. Breast meat is popular in North America, but in Japan has lower value than thigh meat.

■Cartilage (軟骨)
Name: Cartilage / nankotsu
Position: Found at the softer area of the breastbone. Included are the wishbone, or yagen (薬研), shaped like a Y, and the keel (胸軟骨), shaped like a spearhead. Leg and knee joint cartilage are also used.
Characteristics: Cartilage itself does not have any characteristic taste, but its crunchy texture and the fact that it can be deep-fried and goes well with beer add to its popularity.

■Tail (ぼんじり)
Name: Bonjiri / tail
Position: Chicken’s tail
Characteristics: Out of all parts of the chicken, the tail contains the most fat, contributing to its melt-in-your-mouth juiciness.

■Liver (肝)
Name: Kimo / liver
Position: Chicken’s liver
Characteristics: High in vitamins A and B, as well as iron and folic acids, the liver is very tender, but has the tendency to become crumbly and flavourless if cooked for too long, making it simple to like or dislike.

■Gizzard (すなずり)
Name: Sunagimo or sunazuri / gizzard
Position: Chicken’s gizzard
Characteristics: Having a texture of strong elasticity, the gizzard has no strong taste, going well with salt and lemon alone.

■Thigh (もも)
Name: Momo / thigh
Position: Ash red in colour, taken from the thigh joint down to the tip.
Characteristics: Great movement in the thigh area results in a tighter meat, with an appropriate amount of fat giving it a distinct taste.

■Skin (皮)
Name: Kawa / skin
Position: Most yakitori shops use skin taken from the chicken’s neck
Characteristics: The skin contains ample amounts of collagen, and is a popular amongst women

■Meatballs (つくね)
Name: Tsukune / meatballs
Position: --
Characteristics: Here is where individual yakitori shops can express their originality. Mixing minced chicken meat taken from the neck with minced pork etc, then adding finely chopped vegetables and finishing with sauce or egg yolk is where the creativity of the store is tested. With a light subtle texture, it has an excellent affinity with yakitori sauce.