If you’ve ever been to an Asian restaurant, you’ve likely seen the word “teriyaki” on the menu. Many people think the word refers to a unique, sweet dressing that works well with many types of meat and grains, but it didn’t start out that way. Here’s a closer look at the creation and evolution of teriyaki so you can fully appreciate the unique sauce and style of cuisine.

Teriyaki History 101

Origins

Teriyaki can be traced back to the Edo period in Japan when residents were flocking to urban areas after the country unified under Tokugawa shoguns between the early 1600s and the mid-1800s.

The word “teriyaki” didn’t originally refer to the sauce many Americans think of when they hear the term. Instead, it referred to grilling food. In Japan, fish was typically the meat of choice for teriyaki cooking because of its low cost and easy availability. People would teriyaki yellowtail, skipjack tuna, salmon, mackerel, or marlin by grilling over charcoal. To add some shine, they’d dip the meat in sauces or baste it as it cooked.

Evolution

The teriyaki sauce that most people are familiar with today may have originated in Hawaii when Japanese immigrants blended sweeteners like pineapple juice with traditional soy sauce and used it for grilling. Over time, people began cooking vegetables and chicken in a teriyaki sauce that was made with sugar, rice wine sake, cornstarch, and soy sauce. 

Today

Many Asian restaurants today serve a version of teriyaki. However, this can mean a variety of things. Traditional Japanese restaurants may prominently feature the word on the menu, but it will typically mean the ingredients have been grilled, like fish or steak. More Americanized dining facilities will serve meat and vegetables cooked in the teriyaki sauce featuring sugar and soy sauce with a variety of seasonings like garlic.

If you want to try traditional teriyaki chicken or steak, head to Sakura Grill in Alamance County, NC, to give your taste buds a history lesson. The Japanese express restaurant also specializes in poke bowls with ingredients ranging from pineapple and salmon to wasabi mayo and onion crisps so you can personalize your dish and dine in or carry out. Call the Mebane-area restaurant at (919) 563-8889 to place an order for lunch or dinner.