Where Did The Charcoal Barbecue Come From?

Any American knows just what the charcoal barbecue means to our heritage. Most of us can remember times when we were growing up, having a cookout with the family. The grill of choice was most certainly the charcoal one since it gave off the best flavor at the time. But when did it become popular?

The tradition of using a charcoal barbecue grill in the United States first came to light from a television commercial in the 1950's. The popularity quickly soared when people realized just how much fun it was to grill outside in the nice weather. However, the actual origins of this barbeque are thought to come from native Caribbean islanders who loved to roast their meat over soaring charcoal fires.

One University of Virginia study cited that this practice was copied by the Spanish and French who landed on those islands. Using charcoal later became a popular method in the Pre Civil War south, since pork was the meal of choice. This evolved over time into the charcoal barbecue grill that became marketed so much in the 1950's, and still is to this day.

Charcoal Barbecue Grills Give your food more flavor with this traditional type of grill. Browse numerous brands and get current prices here.

It Evolved Like All Other Grills

In today's modern times, the charcoal barbeque grill has changed quite a bit from the original model. Originally it consisted of a good sized pit filled with chopped and burned wood, considered the charcoal. A spit was also used to turn the meat over and give an even grilling. Today the charcoal grill has become much more sophisticated. One way this has happened is with the invention of lighter fluid. This makes it much easier to not only light the coals but to keep them burning until they really get hot. Lighter fluid has recently been replaced by the natural gas igniter which is a safer method than soaking the charcoal, dropping the match, and running. Now you can just turn the gas igniter on and use the charcoal briquets to grill the meat.

To this very day using a charcoal barbecue grill is a popular summertime activity for many homeowners. You get a nice flavor and a fast cooking for just about any meal without too much of a learning curve. Once you become more experienced you can add your own special basting sauces to make the meat that much more enjoyable. Browse many models by clicking here.

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