Barbecuing around the world

In the UK, we most often associate barbecuing with the USA, where barbecue joints cook up rib-sticking food for hungry truckers, or Australia where tanned beauties serve up seafood delights on the beach. The tradition of barbecuing food on outdoor grills is one which is very popular all over the world though, from the UK to Uruguay. Here are just a few areas in which barbecuing is popular:

USA

Of course, barbecuing is one of the most popular methods of cooking in the USA, especially in the Deep South. Anyone who has ever watched shows like ‘Man vs’ Food’ will know that there is a tradition of barbecue joints in the USA, where diners can pick up spicy ribs, humungous steaks, or chicken wings, served up with barbecue sauce and a mind-boggling number of sides and beer. Barbecuing in the USA has been going in since the 1800s, however, where cheap cuts of pork would be cooked on outdoor grills and served up to eager mouths.

Japan

We most associate Japan with delicacies such as sushi, sashimi and tempura, but the Japanese love barbecuing too. Like the people of the UK, the Japanese think that a barbecue is a fine addition to any outdoor activity when the weather is good. However, they favour fish and vegetables on their grills and are more likely to marinate their food in soy or teriyaki sauce than BBQ sauce. They even serve their barbecue with Yakisoba noodles, but they do enjoy some more recognisable barbecue fair as well, including spare ribs, steak and chicken.

Korea

Koreans tend to serve up classy barbecue fair, taking the art of barbecuing very seriously. At Korean barbecue restaurants, meat is served to guests raw and they are able to cook it on a gas or charcoal barbecue grill positioned at the centre of their table. Beef, pork, and chicken – usually marinated in garlic and soy – is the usual Korean barbecue fair.

Australia

We all know that Australians love a Barbie – so much so that communal barbecues can be found in many public spaces in the country. Australians cook up everything from steaks to shrimps on their barbecues, and tend to cook much healthier barbecue fair than we Brits.

South Africa

South Africans are big fans of the grill. Barbecues are referred to by them as ‘braai’, which means ‘roasted meat’ in Afrikaans. As in the UK, barbecues in South Africa are big social events in which people get together to eat, drink and be merry. Barbecue chefs are highly praised in South Africa, and men sometimes argue over the role as head barbecue at barbecues.

Singapore

A nation with a passion for barbecuing, many Singaporean social events are kicked off with one. Parks and chalets are typically used for barbecues due to the lack of gardens in the city, but this just gives barbecues a more communal feel.

Most Singapore barbecues are charcoal fired and the food varies to include the usual beef, chicken and pork, but also grilled stingray, cuttlefish, and even satay marshmallows. Common marinades consist of soy sauce, oyster sauce, pepper, sugar and salt.