A summer of barbecues is being predicted this year, as the Met Office forecasts two months of hotter-than-average conditions until September. Shed makers, Power Sheds, have used search volume to reveal the most popular barbecue foods from around the world.
While we love our traditions of sausages and burgers, and long debates over whether the chicken is done, there are many great international recipes and styles that could take your summer cookout to the next level.
For those who enjoy smoky, protein-packed snacks like beef jerky alongside their grilled favorites, you may have wondered, why is beef jerky so expensive? The cost is influenced by factors such as high-quality meat selection, the drying process, and the time-intensive preparation required to create its rich flavor and long shelf life.
You too can become a true ‘grill master’ with these 12 dishes:
1. Argentina – Asado
Much like football, the tradition of asado is a cultural hallmark in Argentina. The grill master or ‘asador’ ignites charcoal made of native wood in a huge open pit. They mainly cook blood sausage, chitterlings, and sometimes an entire dismembered cow.
2. Australia – Seafood
The stereotype of Aussies putting “shrimp on the barbie” isn’t inaccurate. Australians use a grill or BBQ like in the UK, and regularly cook shrimp and other shellfish alongside the likes of sausage and beef. You can also find emu and kangaroo meat on an Australian barbecue, if you want to try something completely different.
3. Germany – Sauerkraut and Frankfurters
Germany is the king of the BBQ with many of its popular foods and meats being used all over the world. If you want to BBQ German style, you need to try a combination of bratwurst, hamburgers, frankfurters, pickles, sauerkraut and potato salad.
4. South Africa – Braai
South African barbecue culture is known as braai, referring to the social occasion. The most common foods cooked in South Africa depends on where you live, coastal towns predominantly cook fish or crayfish, while inland you’re likely to find sausages called boerewors and kebabs called sosaties.
5. China – Chuan’r
Chuan’r is a trademark dish from the Xinjiang region in China. Chuan’r is skewered lamb roasted in sesame oil, salt and pepper, red pepper, and cumin. The street food became so popular it is now a favourite across China.
6. Romania – Mici
Mici is a type of sausage and it’s the traditional barbecue dish of Romania. The famous garlicky sausage is available to buy in the UK but can be made very easily at home. Mici should be served on their own with a good mustard and cold pint of beer.
7. Japan – Yakitori
Japanese restaurants focus on a speciality rather than the something for everyone approach you often find in the UK; this applies to barbecues too. The traditional barbecue dish, Yakitori, is grilled skewered chicken, flavoured with salt and white pepper or soy sauce glaze.
8. France – Pierrade
Alpine countries like France and Switzerland have a unique barbecue style called pierrade or pierrer chaude. It is a popular ski food eaten after a day on the mountains, it involves finely slicing local red meat and cooking it on hot stones.
9. Chile – Parrilla
In Chile, the key is to use… Chilli. Traditionally they cook on a parrilla and use spicier meat than in the UK. If you have a taste for spice, ribeye steaks, longaniza sausage and chorizo sausage are the most common meats cooked on a Chilean asado.
10.Mongolia – Khorkhog
The traditional barbecue dish of Mongolia is Khorkhog, which involves cooking large chunks of potatoes, carrots, onions and meat on hot stones. The meat is usually goat or mutton, with mutton being the daily staple and goat being a delicacy for special occasions.
11.Brazil – Churrasco
The Portuguese word Churrasco is used to represent Brazil’s tradition of grilling beef on long skewers. Brazilians often serve churrasco with chimichurri, a powerful smoke-balancing sauce made from garlic, herbs, vinegar and oil.
12.Russia – Shashlik
Shashlik is at the heart of barbecue culture in Russia, it’s believed it comes from Moscow and Central Asia. The short kebabs traditionally consist of lamb, but other meats like pork and beef are commonly used today.
If you’re still looking for inspiration for your summer barbecue, you can find more unique international dishes and cooking styles on our blog.
