A BBQ is one of the most delicious methods of cooking, and is widely loved by people around the world. It is also one of the traditional methods of cooking, which has reached to us through our ancestors, when they lived in jungles and hunted animals for food. It is interesting to note that despite being such a primitive method of cooking, the barbeque has become still more popular today. This is because of the great taste and fun attached to cooking meat and other foods on barbeque.



Amongst various BBQ fuels, barbeque charcoal is the most loved and popular fuel for BBQs. In the past, charcoal was made by setting fire to wood piles and then covering it with dirt and allowing it to rumble. It is also made by heating wood in the absence of oxygen. Presently, BBQ fuel is processed charcoal briquettes. Charcoal briquettes are small molded pieces of fuel made with wood and clay. As a matter of fact, many people who are particular about the original method and taste of barbeques do not like to use artificial charcoal.

The best thing about barbecue charcoal is that it cooks low and slow. The meat you cook using BBQ charcoal is very tender. The taste you get from using barbeque charcoal is an absolute delight for your taste buds. The idea is to let the meat cook well, and carefully watch the temperature.

Cooking with charcoal is cheap, and it is also easy to make use of portable barbecues that you can take along with you while traveling.

Those who are fussy with regard to taste prefer charcoal over gas. Barbecuing with charcoal adds special flavour to your food. It is the best way to cook burgers, steak, or chicken. You need to be careful when you light the coals. There are many ways to set the fire, however the traditional method is with a charcoal chimney starter. This is a conventional method to get consistent heat from the coals. Beside this, another method to light the charcoal for BBQ is it to soak it with aliphatic petroleum solvent or pretreated briquettes.

Another way to cook with charcoal is to use an electric iron to heat the coals. You can also find electrical charcoal lighting devices along with containers that pile it on a piece of crumpled newspaper and make use of the paper to make the coals glow. You may adopt any method you like, as the main idea is to enjoy the smoky taste given out by hot coals.

Cooking with charcoal has certain drawbacks as well. Charcoal produces hydrocarbons and soot speck, which contaminates the air and intensifies heart and lung issues. Moreover, when the fat from the meat falls into it, polycyclic hydrocarbons and heterocyclic amines are made. These are compounds which can cause cancer.

To avoid these threats, you should choose charcoal certified by the Rainforest Alliance's SmartWood program, as they are 100 % oak hardwood. They also do not contain coal, oil, limestone, starch, sawdust or petroleum products.