Gyūtan (牛タン) is a Japanese food that is made from grilled beef tongue. The word gyūtan is a combination of the Japanese word for cow (牛, gyū) and the English word tongue. Since gyūtan literally means "cow tongue," the word is also used to refer to cow tongues in Japan. The custom of cooking gyūtan originated in Sendai in 1948, and is usually served with barley rice, tail soup, and pickles in the Sendai area. In other areas in Japan, gyūtan is most often served in yakiniku restaurants. Gyūtan was originally conceived to be flavored with salt, which led to gyūtan being called tanshio (タン塩, lit. "tongue salt") in many yakiniku restaurants. However, some stores now serve gyūtan with tare sauce.