G’Day Guys. Well I managed to get a Weber Q 200 to my Ethiopian friend Adina who promised me a grouse tale of how Ethiopian bread called injera can make people keep their promises.

Once I got the Weber Q 200 to Adina’s pad I realised why she was stoked with the Weber Q200, it was perfect for her smart unit with a balcony that watched over beaut views of a lakeside park.

It was deadset easy to picture Adina mingling with her friends on her balcony whilst her Weber cooked up an Ethiopian storm.

“Strewth Adina this is a perfect home for your Weber Q200, “

“Actually Joe this one of two homes, it will either be standing on my balcony or in the boot of my car, which reminds me I will need one of those Weber mobile trolleys, now that its summer, I want to try and use my Weber like it’s the only source of cooking I have, I just love an alfresco bbq, by the way will the Weber mobile trolley fit in my car? “

“You’ve got no worries Adina its collapsible and will easily fit, do you know I am always stoked when a customer buys a Weber Q200 for all the right reasons”

“Oh Joe so I am so glad I have all the right reasons“

“I should tell you Adina  that you   have chosen one of the most fair dinkum BBQ grills, you can start cooking straightaway with the ignition switch , the  heat is immediate and evenly distributed   and  the space is awesome …enough to feed eight people”

“For me personally Joe the 5 year warranty, its portability and the fact that it won’t rust convinced me to invest in a Weber Q200”

“So Adina, I am all ears, tell me the tale about the Ethiopian bread”

“ Well you see this Weber Q200 that you have brought to my home  ,supposing  I did  not have the money to pay for it today, you could take it back to the shop or I could promise you that I will pay the money by the end of the week , if you decided that it was ok for me to make payment at a later day you would invite me to eat injera with you  so you would feel confident about me keeping my promise,  the Injera  becomes like a witness or binding contract to my promise”

Adina’s  corker of a story, had me admiring the power of a promise in Ethiopia  whilst  reckoning  that in Australia it had Buckley’s chance of replacing a shared beer and a handshake.

G’Day Mate , Joe here, I am as happy as Larry to tell you that my mate Nabil (not Larry) called me today and said he was bringing over a dish that was one of the most popular dishes in his culture, Nabil is Lebanese and always looks bushy-tailed, I reckon he would have to be sixty in the shade but he looks like he is in his early fifties, so I reckon whatever he is eating is pretty darn healthy.

He asked me to prepare a charcoal barbecue as he reckons there is no better way to cook his food surprise, so I’m in like Flynn and I’ve dusted off my  Chef Camper On the Go Charcoal Braai .

The word “ Braai is afrikaan for Barbecue. Although I would not use the word Barbecue near a South African, as it might make them a bit agro.

Us Aussie’s are lucky to have these stainless steel beauties because they are built like an outhouse  for very extreme weather conditions.

I always say to the missus “you’ve got your big handbag with the big silver G,  I’ve got my Chef Camper On the Go Charcoal Braai under my arm .

When Nabil arrives with his surprise dish, I am not surprised at all

“Mate, that’s just chicken cubes on a skewer, not very adventurous brother”

Nabil shakes his head and says two words “Shish taouk”

I say “Don’t think I don’t know a Middle Eastern swear word when I hear one”

Nabil says “Relax my friend it means chicken kebab, but these have been sitting in :  Lemon juice, garlic, thyme, paprika, cayenne pepper, cinnamon and sumac.”

 “What the heck is sumac ? ” I ask.  Nabil says “well first of all you say SOO-mak and it’s the fruit of a shrub that grows throughout the Middle East, it adds a beautiful lemon flavour to meats and salads” 

“Stone the crows” I say “can you buy it here?”

“Of course, in all good supermarkets as you lot say”

I discover that he  has had the  chicken pieces sitting in a kind of  herbal spa for  5 hours and even though its raw poultry  the aroma is making me hungry and i am thinking  about  eating a galah and bark Sandwich already  .

 Instead I check on the Etosha charcoals and know they are ready for Nabils Middle Eastern chicken as they have turned a light grey ash.

 “Well Nabil you’ve told me about your middle eastern shrub let me tell you about this   Etosha charcoal, it also comes from a bush but this bush is a real ratbag, In Namibia pronounced Namibia (I give him that look that says I can have tickets on myself too) which by the way is a country in south Africa, this bush has the craziest name

Nabil it’s called The Namibian Intruder Bush which I have to say has more cred than your Sumac Shrub”

“So it’s an invader bush“ Nabil says

“Yep but leave it to the South Africans to turn a challenge into an opportunity.”

The kebabs were mouth watering grub, dunking them into Nabils garlic sauce made even more scrumptious along with the flavour of Etosha charcoal.

I also felt a joke coming on “what do you get when you put a Aussie, a Lebbo and a south African at the same barbecue……. ?

The iconic Barbecue or  BBQ Grill.  From Australia, where it’s called the humble barbeque to America, where they call it a Grill. South Africa, called a braai to South America, where it’s called  asador or gaucho. The happy emotions that a BBQ  stirs up are unmistakable. No wonder the Barbeque is part of so many cultures ! Mom and dad with the kids running around in the backyard… Is it ready yet Dad ? Family and Friends : All our fondest memories are often around our Barbecues or  Grills. It’s all the same despite the different spellings. A rose by any other name is still a rose. We love our barbies downunder. Sunny Skies, Beaches, Backyards and Barbecues !

Some say the origins lay in Guyana or the Native American culture. The way Americans spell BBQ is BARBECUE or its plural BARBECUES.  Lots of Australians now use this form of spelling the word. Its history dates back to prior to the American Civil War back to the deep south and Southern States, where the humble pig was the main form of food being barbecued in coal or smoke pits or smokers. Today in Modern USA, its become almost a religion where the World BBQ Championships are held. Grill Masters are now called Pit Masters and they closely guard their dry rubs and methods of slow grilling large cuts of meat over long periods of time. Barbecue or Grill Restaurants have become institutions with their followers. BBQ Ribs  take away anyone ? BBQ Recipes are well guarded secrets.

BARBECUEING is traditionally done in smokers or Barbecue pits where meat is cooked over long periods of time at between 95 degrees celcius to 150 degrees celcius.

BARBEQUES, as we call it in Australia is the same meaning. Ancient Aborigines used to cook meat over hot coals in a hollowed out myall tree called BOREE LOG. The very first ancient Australian BBQ.

Today, Barbeques in the Aussie backyards are commonly called Barbies for short. Grills or to Grill is another form of the use of the same lingo. Traditionally, BBQ GRILLS refer to charcoal grillings over charcoal or solid fuel briquettes. Grilling is done at much higher temperatures of between 200 to 260 degrees celcius. Lamb Chops, Steaks, Sausages and more.

Gas Grills or Gas BBQs are the device most used today all over the world, resulting from people wanting convenience but still wanting to grill or BBQ their food outside over the heat. This form of hybrid barbecues is todays modern gas barbeques like Weber, Beefeater, Evedure, Gasmate and more. Indirect Grilling takes place at about 150 to 210 degrees celcius where the meat is cooked not directly under the source of heat but away to one side, in the same cooking chamber.

Still in increasing demand is the grilling of food by BBQ form over hot charcoals like the Brazilian BBQ or the South African Braais. The Weber Charcoal Kettles has cemented a place for themselves for those with a little xtra time wanting a taste difference. South American Asado style… yum !

So, it’s all the same whether you call it Barbecue, Barbeque, Grill or BBQ. Our Barbecues, Barbeques, Grills or BBQs are still as popular as ever. Why ? They create a fun, unique way for us to enjoy good food and good company. Whilst still being the most fun you can have in your backyard. Bring the entire family together over a barbie, nothing comes close, or brings people closer !