Barbecue History

Barbecue, in the traditional sense, is the method of slow-cooking meat at a low temperature with smoke. Based on this definition, the history of the barbecue likely leads back to prehistoric times where a smoking process was used to preserve meats. Smoking became a preferred method of meat preservation over salting because the smoke also helped keep insects away from the meat. The exact origin of the word barbecue, however, remains controversial. Many believe that the word comes from the Arawakan Indians of Hispaniola, who had a method of erecting a frame of wooden sticks over a fire in order to dry meat. In their language, Taino, they called it 'barbacòa' and it is believed that the Spanish explorers adopted this word, which eventually evolved into the modern day concept. Others hold that the word barbecue stems from a French saying, 'barbe à queue', which translates into 'beard to tail', signifying the slow-cooking of a whole animal over a fire.

In America , the use of the barbecue dates back to the late 1800's where cowboys on Western cattle drives would slow-cook tough meats over a fire as a method of tenderizing them. Later, in 1920, Henry Ford and Thomas Edison invented the charcoal briquette. These briquettes were made from wood scraps and sawdust from Ford's factory. E.G. Kingsford bought the invention and put the charcoal briquette into commercial production.

Today, we commonly use the term, or variations of the term, barbecue to encompass most methods of outdoor cooking. There is a difference however, between the traditional barbecue and the more common outdoor cooking methods we see today. Barbecue refers to cooking food slowly with indirect heat and smoke and usually involves the cooking of larger pieces of meat like pork roasts, beef brisket, and ribs. Using a more direct, high-heat method of cooking is referred to as grilling and uses a variety of heat sources including coals and gas-fired flame. Barbecuing, on the other hand, mainly involves wood-fired flames that produce smoke, adding extra flavor that coals or propane won't.

Today, the word barbecue is often used to refer to a casual outdoor party or get-together which often involves grilled foods. Although the terminology and cooking methods may differ, barbecue as a social term has been widely adopted and has become a highlight of summer get-togethers throughout North America .

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