Global BBQ Styles to Try This Summer
If you think there’s only one way to barbecue — think again. Around the world, people have been cooking over fire for thousands of years, each culture shaping the ritual in its own way. From slow-smoked American brisket to fiery South African lamb chops, the humble BBQ takes many forms — and all of them delicious.
Here are a few traditions that inspire us every time we fire up the grill.
In South Africa, the braai isn’t just a cooking method — it’s a way of life. Everything revolves around the fire: stories, drinks, laughter, and, of course, the food. Traditional favourites include boerewors (a coiled beef and pork sausage), sosaties (sweet-and-spicy kebabs with apricots), and lamb chops basted in simple marinades. Charcoal or wood fires are preferred — never gas — and everyone knows that whoever tends the fire is the unofficial “braai master.”
Argentina’s asado takes the social BBQ to new heights. Whole sides of beef or lamb are slow-roasted beside an open flame on an asador (a metal cross), often for hours. The emphasis is on pure, elemental flavour — good meat, coarse salt, and patience. Meals typically start with chorizo and morcilla (blood sausage), followed by a parade of meats served with chimichurri, a garlicky parsley sauce that cuts beautifully through the richness.
In Brazil, churrasco means endless skewers of grilled meats — usually cooked over charcoal and served rodízio-style, where servers carve slices straight onto your plate. It’s communal, theatrical, and unapologetically meaty. Beyond the beef, you’ll find linguiça sausages, chicken hearts, and even grilled pineapple dusted with cinnamon to end the feast.
Korean BBQ
Half dining experience, half performance — Korean BBQ is about interactive eating. Diners grill thinly sliced meats like bulgogi (soy-marinated beef) or samgyeopsal (pork belly) right at the table, then wrap the sizzling pieces in lettuce leaves with rice, kimchi, and gochujang (spicy fermented chilli paste). It’s fast, smoky, and balanced by the vibrant flavours of all those sides — the banchan.
Across the US, BBQ means something different in every region. Texas loves beef brisket smoked for up to 16 hours over oak; the Carolinas swear by tangy vinegar-based pulled pork; Kansas City adds molasses-sweet sauces and sticky ribs. The uniting theme? “Low and slow” cooking — turning cheap, tough cuts into tender, smoky perfection through patience and wood smoke.
The Common Thread
No matter where you travel, the essence of barbecue is the same: fire, patience, and togetherness. Whether you call it a braai, an asado, or a backyard cookout, it’s always about gathering people around food that’s been kissed by flame.
So this summer, take a little inspiration from around the world — try basting your lamb with chimichurri, marinating your chicken in gochujang, or even throwing a few cinnamon-dusted pineapple rings on the grill.
You’ll discover that barbecue is more than just a meal — it’s a language everyone speaks.
