The Mother Sauce - Tare

A tare sauce for yakitori is a traditional Japanese condiment commonly used to flavor grilled skewered chicken. It is a thick, savory sauce that is typically made from a combination of soy sauce, mirin (a sweet rice wine), sake (Japanese rice wine), sugar, and sometimes ginger, garlic, or other seasonings. Tare is the sauce that yakitori is traditionally dipped into, to season skewered pieces of yakitori – or grilled chicken. Yakitori is grilled over charcoal then the chicken skewers are dipped into the tare sauce, imparting a delicious umami flavor and caramelizing on the surface of the meat.. The process is repeated, although, every yakitori chef and shop has their own take on when and how often to use the tare. Tare will develop deeper flavors over time as the grilled chicken baths infuse flavor and fats into the sauce – that only improves and amplify the umami (savory flavor) over time. It is also often drizzled over the top as a finishing touch.