Barbecue is one of the oldest cooking methods
on the planet.
Evolving from simply cooking meat over a fire,
cultures have created various techniques
to grill, roast,
and cook their meat to perfection.
Let's take a look at how barbecue is done around the world.
A popular dish in Chinese cuisine is char siu,
or Chinese barbecue pork.
Char siu translates to "fork-roasted."
The meat is placed on an elongated fork
and roasted over an open fire.
It has a slightly charred and reddish-brown color,
finished with a sweet but savory flavor.
In India, grilling is done inside a clay oven
called a tandoor.
A tandoor is a cylindrical clay oven
that's been used in India for centuries.
It burns at a very high heat,
exposing the food inside to open flames and hot air,
resulting in confection cooking.
Some excavation sites have found tandoor clay ovens
with chicken bones and char marks
dating back to 3000 BC.
Tandoori chicken is known
to be one of India's most popular dishes
and comes with sides like naan,
cucumber raita, and basmati rice.
Ikan bakar is a technique of cooking fish
over a bed of charcoal.
The procedure varies,
but fish is normally split in half,
flavored with spices,
and placed between two grates
that go directly on the grill.
Depending on the region,
spices may differ
but can range from sweet to spicy.
Compared to other dishes in Japanese cuisine,
yakitori is relatively new,
as it only became popular in the 1950s
after Japan's previous restrictions on meat consumption
that were based on Buddhist beliefs were lifted.
Yakitori are bite-sized pieces of chicken
derived from various parts of the bird,
including thigh meat, neck meat,
skin, heart, and tails,
that are all placed on skewers
and grilled over a charcoal fire.
For generations, Mongolians have cooked khorkhog,
which consists of potatoes, carrots,
onions, and meat.
Khorkhog is made by placing meat
with hot stones in an enclosed container
and cooking it on an open fire.
The meat can be either goat or mutton,
but since mutton is considered a daily staple
and goat is more of a delicacy,
it's typically goat that's cooked
since khorkhog is traditionally reserved
for festivals or family events
with many guests.
Depending on the number of people,
sometimes even a whole sheep is used.
Gui refers to grilled-meat dishes found in Korean cuisine.
Grilling is a key cooking component and method in Korea.
Traditionally, most tables in a Korean barbecue
have a gas or charcoal grill in the middle.
Some ingredients come to the table raw,
sliced, and prepared to grill.
The meat can either be marinated,
like the famous bulgogi and galbi beef,
or it can be plain and unseasoned.
Customers then cook the food according
to personal preferences.
When cooking, use kitchen scissors
to cut the meat into smaller pieces,
and don't flip the meat more than once.
Pierrade is a flat stone laid on top of a heat source.
Pierrade meat needs to be sliced very thin,
because the only part of the meat that will cook
is what is in contact with the hot stone.
Potatoes and vegetables can also be placed
on a pierrade, along with a variety of dips.
Aioli is a popular condiment that's served with pierrade.
Some German cooks use a grill called a schwenker,
which hangs from a tripod.
Typically the schwenkermeister keeps it moving
by swinging and rotating it from its chains,
making it easier to cook large pieces of meat.
It results in a smoky, juicy meat.
Souvlaki is a popular Greek dish consisting
of pieces of meat and vegetables on a skewer.
Souvlaki was a popular food among the ancient Greeks.
It was even eaten by characters in Homer's writings.
Souvlaki can be served on a skewer,
in a pita sandwich,
or on a dinner plate with fried potatoes.
Lechón originated in Spain
but is popular in the Philippines,
the Dominican Republic,
Puerto Rico, and Cuba.
It's considered to be the national dish
of the Philippines and Puerto Rico.
Lechón is the Spanish word for suckling pig.
The meat is very tender
and is usually roasted until the skin turns crispy.
Jerk is common across the Caribbean,
but Jamaica is the heart of jerk culture,
and it's considered to be the country's national dish.
The smokiness and spiciness of jerk
come from scotch bonnet chilies,
island thyme, and allspice.
All of those seasonings cover the meat
that's been butterflied in order to expose
more of the surface to heat.
Mexican barbacoa is traditionally made
with goat, sheep, or lamb,
but beef and pork can be used as well.
The meat is buried in a pit,
covered in agave leaves, and slow cooked
until it's soft enough to fall off the bone.
It can be served in a broth and eaten as a soup,
or with tortillas,
which make for some of the most tender tacos.
There are numerous styles of barbecue in the US,
and everyone has an opinion on which is best.
Ribs, brisket, and pulled pork are some of the favorites.
Popular side dishes include salads,
baked beans, corn bread, and fruit.
The big holidays for barbecuing in the United States
are Memorial Day weekend,
the start of the summer season,
and the Fourth of July Independence Day celebration.
Argentina devours the third-most amount of meat
in the world.
The asado tradition originated from the gauchos
of the early 1800s.
Most of the time,
the asado is made from beef,
but lamb, pork, and mutton are other options.
The tradition involves eating the whole animal,
with the best pieces of the meat saved for last.
Churrasco also started in the 1800s
when gauchos would get together
and grill large portions of meat on skewers.
Brazilians often serve churrasco with chimichurri,
a simple garlicky green sauce
that balances the smokiness of the meat.
Churrasco can be made at home and at festivals,
but can also be ordered at Brazilian steakhouses.
At the steakhouses,
waiters walk around with the skewers
to show off the variety of meats to diners.
As customers choose their meat,
it's sliced off the skewers.
Typically, this barbecue experience is all you can eat,
so diners should bring their appetite.
Pachamanca involves digging out an earth oven
and lining the inside of the pit with hot stones
to cook the food.
Potatoes, corn, and marinated meats are enclosed in leaves
and placed into the oven for a few hours.
Pachamanca is normally served
with guests sitting on the ground,
and typically takes place on special occasions
and during the harvest time
every February and March.
Many foods at Australian barbies can be linked
to the country's proximity to Asia.
Lamb chops, beef steak,
sausages, prawns, and lobster
are all popular meats you can find
at a barbie.
Barbies are recognized as a common method
of fundraising for schools and local communities.
The earth oven is used in traditional South Pacific cooking,
especially on the islands of Fiji,
New Zealand, Samoa, and Tahiti.
While the cooking method and names differ between islands,
cultures throughout the South Pacific
commonly use this below-ground barbecue style.
It's used in traditional feasts
and family dinners alike,
and the food is usually cooked
in baskets woven from banana leaves.
Meals might include breadfruit,
yams, fish, pork and shellfish.
The meat is generally marinated,
finished with a savory glaze,
and topped with tropical fruit.
Braais are important in South African culture.
It's like a potluck, where family and friends
bring their own meats or side dishes.
Favorite meats found in a braai are steak,
sausages, sosaties, pork,
chicken, and lamb chops.
Fish and crayfish are more popular in the coastal regions.
Braais are so beloved in South Africa
that September 24 is considered National Braai Day
in the country.
The ancient Persian tradition
of barbecuing meat kebabs continues today in Iran.
Kabab koobideh is made from ground lamb or beef
or a combination of the two,
and is blended with spices and grated onions.
In English, koobideh means slamming,
referring to the method in which meat is prepared.
The kabab koobideh can be found in both restaurants
and among street vendors.
Shish kebabs are thought to have emerged
when soldiers in Turkey skewered
and grilled pieces of animals on their swords.
Traditionally, it's made with lamb,
but there are versions
with various kinds of beef,
poultry, or fish,
and they don't typically contain vegetables.
So, which type of barbecue do you want to try?
Are there any we missed?
Let us know in the comments below.