Americans love to barbecue in the summer. However, as famous as this culinary technique is in the country, the United States is far from being an ‘expert’ on the subject.
There are regional variations and customs in destinations from South America to Africa and Asia considered the best in the world by experts. The famous Brazilian barbecue is among them.
Braai (South Africa)
The South African braai is the country’s main culinary custom. There, the frequent gathering of friends and family around grilled and juicy cuts of beef, sausage, and sosaties (skewers) of chicken crosses all racial and socioeconomic lines.
Asado (Argentina)
Although its position as the world’s largest consumer of beef varies each year, many would say that Argentina will forever be the grande dame of grilled meats. Just like South Africa’s braai culture, Argentina’s affinity for grilling is more deeply rooted than in the United States.
Yakitori (Japan)
Yakitori, a favorite in Japan, consists of chicken cut into cubes mounted on bamboo skewers and cooked over a smoky layer of charcoal.
However, its definition has been broadened to include any grilled and skewered food, including vegetables, seafood, pork, and beef.
Churrasco (Brazil)
Barbecue enthusiasts with a big appetite will love Brazil’s churrasco. The country offers the famous rodizio, where waiters provide an endless supply of grilled meat cuts directly to customers’ tables, who can eat until they can’t anymore.
Lechon (Philippines)
Lechon (Spanish for “suckling pig”) features a whole pig roasted on a spit over a bed of charcoal or in an oven. Many Filipinos declare that the tasty pork delicacy is their national dish. The lechon cooked on the Philippine island of Cebu is often considered the best in the country, if not the world.
Tandoor (India)
The iconic Indian tandoori chicken is considered a barbecue technique. The name Tandoori food derives from the tandoor, the clay oven shaped like a cauldron in which dishes like naan bread, chicken, seafood, and other meats are cooked over high heat charcoal.
Mongolian Barbecue (Taiwan)
Mongolian barbecue is a relatively new food trend, emerging in Taiwan in the 1950s and influenced by Japanese teppanyaki and Chinese stir-fry. It is also popular in certain regions of China.
Lovo (Fiji)
The barbecue tradition in Fiji has a more underground approach compared to other nations. Unlike many other barbecue styles, Fijian barbecue is cooked in a ‘lovo’, a clay oven. Lovo involves hot stones placed in a large opening in the ground to allow for slowly smoked cooking. Ingredients like pork, chicken, vegetables, taro root, and seafood are wrapped in taro or banana leaves and placed on the stones. After 2 to 3 hours, the tasty lovo will be ready to serve.
Pachamanca (Peru)
Although Peruvian cuisine is known worldwide for ceviche cocktails and Pisco sour, one of the most traditional Incan culinary customs of Peru, pachamanca, is still under the radar of many.
Pachamanca (which means “earthen pot” in the Quechua language) involves digging to create an oven in the ground and lining the cavity with heated stones from the fire to cook the food.
A variety of potatoes, corn, vegetables, and marinated meats are wrapped in banana leaves and placed in the clay oven for hours.
The authentic pachamanca is served on the ground and mainly occurs on special occasions (especially religious ceremonies) and during the harvest season in February and March.
Source: CNN