Special thanks to our Barbecue Country Edmonton team for providing the bones of this article. We hope you enjoy this international tour of barbecue traditions.
1. South Africa: Braai
Barbecuing is so important in South Africa that there’s a public holiday to celebrate it each year. On September 24th, South Africans observe “National Braai Day.” The term Braai is Afrikaans for “barbecue” or “roast,” and it is a recognized word in every single one of South Africa’s 11 official languages. (And we think BBQ is popular in Canada, huh?)
Despite originating with the Afrikaner people, braai has since been adopted by South Africans of many ethnic backgrounds. While wood was initially used for braai fuel, charcoal use has increased over time. Jan Scannel, the BBQ-obsessed man who initiated the holiday, calls braai the “great equalizer” in South Africa: "the wealthiest people braai with proper wooden fires and the poorest people braai with proper wooden fires. It's a way of preparing food, but it's also a social gathering,” he said.
(Photo: https://bit.ly/2Jr7Sd9 )
2. Brazil: Churrasco
If your appetite is as big as your love for meat, you’ll adore Brazilian-style barbecue.
Although churrasco is Portuguese for “grilled meat,” the particular cooking style (meat, usually beef, is skewered and grilled on high over either a grill or an open flame) originated in the fireside roasts of Pampa, Brazil. At churrascarias, you’ll enjoy all-you-can-eat churrasco as waiters circulate the restaurant with the skewers, slicing meat onto your plate. While most North Americans associate churrasco with Brazil; Guatemala, Portugal, Ecuador, Bolivia, and Argentina each country also has their own churrasco grilling traditions. Click here to see Yoder’s Argentina-style Santa Maria Grill. (Well worth the click!) (Photo: https://bit.ly/2HusZrw )
3. Portugal: Espetada
Before there was churrasco, there was Espetada. "Espetada" refers to a traditional Portuguese dish, particularly from the island of Madeira, consisting of large chunks of beef marinated in garlic, salt, and bay leaves, skewered on bay leaf branches, and grilled over hot coals.
This traditional Portuguese BBQ dish deviates from churrasco by incorporating vegetables (gasp!) such as tomato, onions, and zucchinis; different types of meat and fish are also used. Despite the many Espetada combinations, this skewered dish packs a flavourful punch.
(Photo: https://bit.ly/2JpMXqH )
4. Thailand: Kai yang
Kai yang (“grilled chicken” in Thai) originated from the Lao people of northeastern Thailand, but it’s now a staple across the country. To prepare kai yang, halve a whole chicken and pound it flat. Then, marinate it with ingredients like fish sauce, garlic, turmeric, cilantro, and white pepper.
The last step is to grill it over a charcoal flame. (Hint = the longer it’s cooked, the better). Green papaya salad and sticky rice are the perfect accompaniments to the finished product.
(Photo: https://bit.ly/2Qa3Ru6)
5. Nigeria: Suya
Though suya may look similar to shish kebabs, which originated in the Middle East, the peanut paste and groundnut oil-infused spice blends give suya a distinctively African flavour. Beef, ram, and chicken are the most common meat selections for suya. (But if you’re feeling adventurous, you could also prepare it from kidney, liver, or tripe.)
Once grilled, the caramelized peanut paste gives suya a sweet taste – but the sweetness is balanced out when you add the tantalizingly hot Yaji pepper sauce.
(Photo: https://bit.ly/2EeS3lr )
6. China: Shaokao
China’s version of the classic meat-on-a-stick is shaokao: the flavours and cooking methods vary as you move across China, but the basic elements - aka the heavy use of spices - remain the same. On the street corners of Chengdu, you’ll find shaokao on gigantic square grills; in other places, the barbecues are extremely narrow, with the ends of the skewers hanging off the grill.
Although Beijing banned outdoor shaokao grills in 2013 because of heavy smog conditions, that hasn’t stopped the country’s love for this barbecued delicacy.
(Photo: https://bit.ly/2WQxV0q )
7. Peru: Pachamanca
Pachamanca, a traditional Peruvian way of cooking, dates back to the Inca Empire. Instead of grilling your meat, this technique involves grilling volcanic rocks over a fire pit in the ground.
Once they’re blazing hot, add a layer of vegetables; if you want to be extra Peruvian, make sure to include oca, mashwa, and yucca. The last and perhaps most exciting step is to add the meat – as much as you want, and as many kinds of it as your heart desires.
(Photo: https://bit.ly/2YyBM2s)
8. New Zealand: Hāngi
Just like pachamanca, hāngi involves heated rocks buried in a pit oven and produces meat infused with an earthy fragrance.
This particular method, however, originated from the Māori people of New Zealand. Hāngi is saved for special occasions nowadays (it was common in New Zealand thousands of years ago), and the tender, fall-off-the-bone meat that results from this long cooking process is special indeed.
(Photo: https://bit.ly/2HxnY1p)
9. Philippines: Lechon
Lechon is one of the many flavourful and versatile dishes that the Philippines has to offer. Cooked over charcoal, this spicy, stuffed, and roasted pig dish is a fan favourite in many countries.
Although Lechon is the national dish of the Philippines, it is also popular in Cuba, Puerto Rico, and Indonesia, and each region boasts a different way of preparing it. Visayan lechon, for example, is stuffed with herbs and has a distinctively lemongrass flavour. In contrast, lechon Luzon is simply seasoned with salt and pepper – but its special flavour comes from a liver-based sauce.
(Photo: https://bit.ly/2WXz2Ly )
10. Israel: Al Ha'esh
Al Ha'esh, which means “on the fire” in Hebrew, is a central component of Jewish holidays. Passover and Sukkot, two weeklong Judaic holidays, are bookended by ritual meals where barbecue is essential.
If you’re in Israel during either of these holidays, you’ll likely see many locals at parks eating barbecued meat grilled on a portable grill (called a “mangal” in Hebrew). As for the side dishes? Small salads and homemade pita are commonly served with al Ha'esh.
(Photo: https://bit.ly/2VP5oMp )
11. Indonesia: Ayam Bakar
Ayambakar (which means roasted chicken in Indonesian and Malay) is a staple in Maritime Southeast Asian cuisine. For maximum spiciness, first marinate the chicken in spices like turmeric, coriander, and candlenut; next, simmer the chicken in them, and finally, baste the chicken in the now-syrupy spice mix before placing it on the charcoal grill. The result is a perfectly sweet, spicy, and smoky dish.
(Photo: https://bit.ly/2WaqKmw )
12. Taiwan: Mongolian Barbecue
If you’ve been to an Asian restaurant, chances are you’ve seen Mongolian barbecue on the menu — and chances are that you assumed the dish originated in Mongolia. However, the thinly sliced meat dish actually originated in Taiwan. In 1951, Taiwanese comedian Wu Zhaonan decided to grill meat and veggies on a round, iron griddle — and the dish has been famous (although falsely attributed) ever since.
(Photo: https://bit.ly/30uuwqp)
13. Russia: Shashlik
In Russia, the secret to shish kabobs - or shashlik, as they are called there - is an acidic marinade often made from kefir, vinegar, or pomegranate juice. Drench lamb, beef, or pork in this concoction and you are ready for the second secret to the shashlik: the “mangal.” This long, narrow fire pit BBQ allows you to cook up plenty of meat for parties and picnics.
(Photo: https://bit.ly/2LRpMI5 )
