/ Osaka Food / English
Grilled Corn at a Yakitori Restaurant: When It Is in Season, Why Its Sweetness Fades Quickly, and How to Eat It off the Skewer
Starting from a photo of grilled corn that Yakitori Senkichi published on Google, this guide uses material from Japan's Agriculture and Livestock Industries Corporation (ALIC) and Kagoshima City to explain when sweet corn is in season and where it comes from through the year, why it loses sweetness soon after harvest, and how long it keeps at home, along with tips for ordering and eating skewered corn at a yakitori restaurant.
Written by Koetsu Co., Ltd.
Yakitori menus list vegetable skewers alongside chicken. One that catches the eye is corn cut into short rounds, skewered and grilled over charcoal. Taking a photo of grilled corn that Yakitori Senkichi published on Google as a starting point, this guide looks at when corn is in season, why its sweetness fades quickly, and how to eat it at a yakitori restaurant, based on material from the Agriculture and Livestock Industries Corporation (ALIC) and Kagoshima City.
When sweet corn is in season, and where it comes from
The sweet, juicy corn usually eaten as a vegetable in Japan is sweet corn. ALIC's Vegetable Information describes it as a representative summer vegetable and says that at the Tokyo Metropolitan Central Wholesale Market, arrivals are concentrated between June and August, with the peak in July.
According to the same report, arrivals begin in May with corn from Kyushu, and growing areas closer to Tokyo join from June. From August, Hokkaido becomes the main source, and arrivals fall sharply from October. It also gives national shipments for 2021 as 178,400 tonnes, of which 77,600 tonnes, a little over 40 percent, came from Hokkaido.
In other words, October is the tail end of the corn season. Whether grilled corn is on a yakitori menu, and where it comes from, varies by season and restaurant, so if you want it in autumn or later, it is worth asking before you order.
Why corn loses its sweetness quickly
ALIC's report explains that sweet corn loses freshness easily, and that how soon it is eaten after harvest is what keeps its sugar content. Ideally it should be eaten on the day it is bought; if not, it suggests wrapping it in cling film, refrigerating it and using it within two to three days.
Kagoshima City's page describes how, in a local growing area, high temperatures reduce freshness and sugar content, so growers start harvesting around 4 a.m. before dawn and vacuum-cool the corn straight after boxing to keep it fresh. For home use, it recommends eating corn within a few days of buying it, or cooking it and then freezing it.
| Guideline | Source | |
|---|---|---|
| Season | Arrivals concentrated June to August, peaking in July | ALIC |
| Autumn supply | Mainly Hokkaido from August; arrivals drop sharply from October | ALIC |
| Refrigerated | Wrapped in cling film, two to three days | ALIC |
| Longer storage | Cook first, then freeze | Kagoshima City |
Looking at the grilled corn in the photo
The photo below is one Yakitori Senkichi published on Google, shown without editing. Short rounds of corn sit side by side on bamboo skewers, with glossy kernels charred here and there, suggesting the surface has been grilled.
A photo, however, only shows what the dish looks like. This guide has not confirmed whether it is brushed with sauce or soy sauce or simply salted, when the photo was taken, or whether it is still on the menu. Soy sauce and tare sauces often contain wheat and soy, so if you have a food allergy, please check with the staff before ordering.
How to eat corn off the skewer
Freshly grilled corn is hot right through each kernel. Holding the bamboo skewer and biting a little at a time along the rows makes it easier to eat and lets you get close to the cob. Kagoshima City's page notes that nutrients are concentrated in the germ at the base of each kernel and recommends pulling kernels off by hand rather than cutting them with a knife, so eating right down to the base has a point.
When sharing, rather than one person eating a whole piece, it works better to order one per person, or to ask for small plates and loosen the kernels by hand before dividing them. Kernel skins tend to get stuck between teeth, so if there are no toothpicks on the table, just ask the staff. Put finished skewers in the skewer holder or at the edge of a small plate, as with other skewers.
- From October the season is ending, so ask whether it is on the menu
- Freshly grilled kernels are hot inside, so bite slowly at first
- Sauces and soy sauce often contain wheat and soy, so mention any allergy
- To share, order one each or loosen the kernels onto small plates first
- Know where the toothpicks are, in case kernel skins get stuck
Yakitori Senkichi Minamikyuhoji is at Sankyubashi Gardenscape E, 3-2-15 Minamikyuhojimachi, Chuo-ku, Osaka. Please check opening hours and the current menu on the official site, or contact the restaurant during opening hours. If you order vegetable skewers alongside chicken, we hope this guide helps.
