Barbecuing was first documented in the 15th century, among indigenous people in the Bahamas, but it’s fair to say it’s been an art form ever since hunting and fire were mastered.
A string of nations claim it as their own.
In France, the phrase "barbe à queue" -– meaning "from head to tail" -– has been used to describe a method of cooking a pig whole. In the United States, it’s been claimed the word is an acronym (BBQ) for old roadhouse signs that advertised “bar, beer and cues.”
Brazil and Korea lay claim to their unique styles.
And in Australia, where gas barbecues can be found in just about every backyard and balcony in the country, barbecuing is considered an inalienable right.
“Anthropologists in a few thousand years will excavate an Australian backyard and really wonder, ‘what was this kind of strange pile of metal attachment used for? What barbaric practices went on here?’” says Mark Thomson, author of "Meat, Metal and Fire –- The Legendary Australian Barbecue.