The Japanese cooking technique of grilling with a sweet soy glaze is teriyaki. Traditionally, food is grilled or broiled while being brushed or dipped in a glossy sauce made from soy sauce, sake or mirin, and sugar.
The name combines teri, meaning shine or luster, with yaki, meaning grilling or broiling. The sugar in the sauce caramelizes during cooking and creates the characteristic sheen. Teriyaki is generally traced to Japan’s Edo period, and fish such as yellowtail, salmon, mackerel, and tuna are traditional Japanese choices; chicken is also widely used.
Teriyaki is often misunderstood as a particular dish rather than a cooking method. In Japan, it commonly refers to the technique and its sauce, while North American restaurants use the word for many sauced dishes, including stir-fries and hamburgers. Yakitori is different: it means skewered grilled food, which may or may not use a teriyaki-like sauce. Shioyaki, by contrast, means grilling with salt.