This is the Barbecue Revolution timeline.

Is There a History to Barbecuing?

Some think that homo-erectus, the prehistoric race that existed before homo sapiens, was the first to consume cooked meat as part of their diet. In addition to the nutritional advantages of cooking meat, the evolutionary advantage of heating meat meant that food could be consumed considerably more rapidly, allowing the human brain to grow at a far faster rate.

When it comes to determining when grilled food was originally consumed, one of the most plausible explanations dates back to the days of the cavemen themselves. If our ancient forefathers came across dead creatures that had been slain and roasted by forest fires, it is extremely likely that they were related to us.

It’s probable that after tasting the meat, the flavor would have been significantly superior to that of raw meat, and the nutritional advantages of eating cooked meat rather than raw meat would have been apparent. After a period of time, our cavemen and cavewomen forefathers and foremothers started to invent techniques of cooking over open flames, which eventually gave rise to the first barbeque grills.

In light of the fact that the first people were organized into tribes, it is quite likely that the tribe was able to organize itself by grilling meat in sufficient quantities to feed the whole population.

However, although there is no data to support this theory, it does make sense when you consider the satisfying sensation you get from hosting a party and cooking over an open flame. There’s nothing quite like a cookout to bring people together in a fun and relaxed environment.

What Is the Origin of the Term “Barbecue”?

Though widely discussed, and there will always be confusion as to the precise origin of these technologies, it is thought that indigenous tribes of the Caribbean who used them had a term for them in their language before they were introduced to the rest of us. “Barbacoa” was the name of the dish in question. If you’re not acquainted with the Spanish language, this is the term for ‘barbecue,’ in case you were wondering.

Even while this is commonly recognized as the origin of the term barbecue, there are those who claim that the phrase derives from the French word ‘barbe à que,’ which means “barbecue to go.” In this context, roasting a full animal is meant, and the literal translation of this phrase is “from beard to tail.”

When did barbecuing first appear in America, and what is its history?

The origins of barbecue’s popularity in America are unclear, although early immigrants of the Spanish empire, who took the lengthy trek over the Atlantic Ocean to arrive on the beaches of the American continent, deserve some of the credit.

Christopher Columbus and his crew would come across indigenous tribes in the Caribbean who would preserve their meat in the sun as a result of their aggressive techniques of sailing to new-found territories, leading to the discovery of new worlds. The obvious disadvantage of using this approach is that the meat will ultimately go bad and get infected with minibeasts and other types of pests as a result of the exposure to the elements.

In dealing with these issues, the locals did have a practical solution. To cook the meat, they would start tiny and smokey fires and then place racks of it directly over the flames. The meat might also be cooked in the ground for many hours at a time using another technique that they use to dig a pit and slow cook the meat. Using these methods, the meat would be kept in excellent condition while also being protected from all of the bothersome bugs that would have plagued it.

The Origins of Barbecue in the United States

Once the Europeans and Africans had settled in the West for a time, they began to migrate westward, finally arriving in what is now the United States of America. The European cattle and pigs that were sent from Europe to America served as the principal source of protein for all of the colonies’ diets. Additionally, Native Americans had evolved their own methods of preparing animals over an open fire, which they shared with other tribes and communities.

Barbecuing first gained popularity in the state of Virginia, before extending down through North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia, as well as through the Appalachian Mountains and into Kentucky and Tennessee, as well as across the United Kingdom and Australia. It began to make its way westward gradually, leaving a particularly lasting influence on the people of Texas and the rest of the United States.

Barbecues were thought to be quite chaotic gatherings in the early days of colonial rule. In order to try BBQ festivals, audiences would consume copious amounts of alcohol and engage in boisterous and brash conduct. However, at the beginning of the nineteenth century, barbecues would become much more relaxing and enjoyable occasions, something for families and the whole community to enjoy while spending quality time with one another.

Then there was the outbreak of the Civil War.

During this time, barbecues would take on a whole new significance, with many families and local communities hosting public BBQ parties to express their support and solidarity with soldiers fighting overseas.

When it came to cooking and food preparation during these times, barbecues were often huge and varied in order to accommodate as many people as possible. Basically, you’d be eating whatever was put in front of you!

Fast forward to the end of the nineteenth century, and there were a slew of enterprising persons who realized the appeal and power of the barbecue and began charging a fee for participation at barbecue events, especially during the busiest periods of public holidays and festivals.

Tents would be used at first, and they’d be moved from one spot to another based on where they thought the greatest position was to be. The first barbecue restaurants were established as a result of these temporary tents being set up in a permanent location over time. At this time, families would also begin to enjoy their own private barbecues in their own backyards, resulting in an unexpected surge in popularity for the common ‘cookout.

Briquettes were first used in the United States in the early 1900s.
Inventing a method for making briquettes out of leftover sawdust and timber mill waste products, University of Oregon scientist Orin Stafford came up with a means to hold everything together using cornstarch. ‘Charcoal briquettes’ was the name he gave to his creation.

After receiving an invitation from Henry Ford to attend a meeting with Thomas Edison and Harvey Firestone in 1919, real estate agent Edward G. Kingsford accepted the invitation. Specifically, Ford had invited Edward so that the two of them could discuss lumber, particularly the timber that could be found in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, since Ford’s popular Model T vehicles required around 100 feet of hardwood.

Kingsford was instrumental in assisting Ford in obtaining more than 300,000 acres of forest near Iron Mountain, Michigan, where Ford built a parts factory and sawmill, as well as an adjacent town named Kingsford, which became the home of Ford workers.

In the end, the town was successful in supplying Ford with sufficient timber for his autos. The procedure, on the other hand, resulted in massive amounts of debris, including tree stumps, twigs, branches, and sawdust, all of which were disposed of responsibly. Ford was quite dissatisfied with this, since he disliked squandering resources.

An Oregon University scientist, Orin Stafford, came up with the answer that would solve all of the world’s problems. A method of generating lumps of fuel from all of the sawdust and waste product from the mill, mixing it with tar, and ultimately binding it all together with cornstarch was devised by him and his colleagues. Ford then altered the name of the briquettes to ‘briquets,’ which Orin had given them when they were first made.

As a result, Edison developed and built a briquette plant next to the mill, and Kingsford was tasked with running it. The facility was very prolific, and even though charcoal was provided to a large number of fish and meat smokehouses, there was an excess supply, prompting Ford to advertise ‘picnic kits,’ which would consist of portable grills and charcoal, and sell them via his own automobile dealerships.