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Seven Things You Didn’t Know about Barbecue

From the familiar pastime’s origins to surprising tips and tactics, this list will provide you with all the information you need to wow your friends at the next barbecue!

1. Barbecues originated from “pig-pickin’s,” feasts that were common in the southern United States prior to the Civil War. Whole pigs were cooked and eaten by the crowd.
2. “Smoking” was used as far as 6000 years ago in order to make meats safe to eat and store.
3. In Australia, a barbecue is commonly referred to as a “barbie.”
4. What most North Americans partake in today isn’t actually barbecuing. Barbecuing is cooking at temperatures around the boiling point of water (180-220*F) for a longer time period, in order to make the meat tender while preserving its natural juices. Today, the method most commonly used is in fact broiling: cooking at 475-700*F in much less time.
5. According to the Barbecue Industry Association, half of all marshmallows eaten in the U.S. have been toasted over a grill.
6. The origin of the word barbecue is unclear. Some believe it came from the American-Indian word barbacoa for a wood on which foods were cooked. Others say it came from the french words “de barbe à queue,” meaning “whiskers to tail.
7. Kansas City, Missouri and Lexington, North Carolina both claim to be the barbecue capitals of the world.

Now you’re set to impress!