BBQ Culture & Travel

Fire is the universal language. Every culture has its version.

BBQ as Cultural Identity

Every culture that has ever cooked over fire has developed its own BBQ tradition — its own cuts, its own wood, its own seasonings, its own rituals around the meal. These traditions are not interchangeable. Argentine asado is not Brazilian churrasco. Korean galbi is not Japanese yakitori. Texas brisket is not Carolina pulled pork. The technique may share the common denominator of fire and meat, but the culture, the context, and the flavor are completely distinct.

79th Street BBQ exists because José Luis Villalobos believes that understanding fire traditions across cultures makes you a better cook and a more curious eater. You don’t have to choose between traditions. You learn from all of them.

The Americas — A Continent of Fire

The Americas have the densest concentration of distinct BBQ traditions anywhere on earth. From the underground pit cooking of the Maya (pibil) to the gaucho traditions of the Pampas, from the lechon traditions of the Caribbean to the whole-animal roasting of the Pacific coast, the American continents represent 10,000+ years of continuous fire cooking development.

The common thread across American BBQ traditions is patience. Unlike European grilling which tends toward quick, high-heat cooking, American BBQ — North, Central, and South — consistently features long, slow cooks that break down tough cuts into something extraordinary. Time is the ingredient that money can’t replace.

Asia’s Fire Traditions

Japanese yakitori — Chicken skewers cooked over binchotan (white charcoal) at extremely precise temperatures. The binchotan burns at higher heat with less smoke than regular charcoal, allowing the chef to control flavor with extraordinary precision. Different parts of the chicken — liver, heart, skin, thigh, neck — each require different heat and timing.

Korean galbi and samgyeopsal — The tabletop grill tradition. Galbi (marinated short ribs) and samgyeopsal (thick-cut pork belly) cooked at the table over charcoal or gas, then wrapped in perilla or lettuce leaves with garlic, gochujang, and banchan. The interactive, communal nature of Korean BBQ is as important as the food itself.

Mongolian khorkhog — Lamb cooked in a sealed metal container with heated stones. The stones (placed both inside with the meat and outside the container) cook from multiple directions simultaneously. One of the most distinctive BBQ techniques in existence.

Southeast Asian satay — Thin strips of marinated meat on bamboo skewers, cooked over a narrow charcoal grill. The narrow grill concentrates heat directly under the skewers. Peanut sauce is not optional.

Europe’s Overlooked Fire Traditions

Spanish espeto de sardinas — Fresh sardines skewered on bamboo reeds and cooked over a wood fire directly on the beach. A Málaga tradition so specific it has been designated intangible cultural heritage. The combination of sea air, fresh fish, and wood smoke produces a flavor impossible to replicate away from the coast.

Greek souvlaki — Pork or chicken on skewers over charcoal. Deceptively simple. The key is the marinade (lemon, olive oil, oregano) and the heat management. A properly cooked souvlaki has char on the outside and juice on the inside simultaneously.

Portuguese espetada — Beef skewered on bay laurel branches and cooked over wine-soaked charcoal. A Madeiran tradition. The bay laurel imparts a subtle flavor as it smolders; the wine-soaked charcoal produces aromatic steam.

Africa’s Fire Heritage

South African braai — South Africa’s braai (from Afrikaans “braaivleis,” meaning “grilled meat”) is the most socially significant BBQ tradition in the Southern Hemisphere. The braai is a social institution equivalent to the Argentine asado: you don’t have a braai, you make a braai. Boerewors (farmer’s sausage, a coil of beef and pork seasoned with coriander) is the defining braai meat.

West African suya — Thinly sliced beef on skewers coated in a spiced peanut crust (yaji), cooked over a charcoal fire by night-market vendors. The combination of peanut, ginger, paprika, and garlic creates one of the most distinctive flavor profiles in global BBQ.

What Travel Teaches You About Fire

The most useful thing travel has taught José about fire cooking: every tradition has solved the same problem (how to cook meat with fire) in a way that makes complete sense given local ingredients, climate, and culture. There are no accidents. The fact that Argentines use quebracho is because it’s the hardwood that grows there. The fact that Koreans grill at the table is because tabletop culture is central to Korean dining. When you understand the why behind each tradition, you learn not just techniques but principles — and principles transfer.