This year's key barbecue trends include: Wood fires, exotic spices and more and more vegetarian and vegan options.
Barbecuing has been around since man learned to master fire. Since the 17th century at the latest, it has increasingly spread the barbecue culture (BBQ culture) - especially in the English-speaking regions of the world with warm weather, such as the south of the USA, South Africa and Australia, where it is known as "barbie".
Grilled food in transition
A certain awareness of the environment and the climate is growing among the general population. This is probably one of the reasons why more and more alternatives to steak and sausage are ending up on the grill. This year, too, it is foreseeable that meat alternatives in particular will become increasingly popular. Beyond burgers and other substitutes are now at least pretty close to the original, even if a steak can't really be replaced yet.
If you prefer natural alternatives, grilled vegetables should be on your grill. But it's not just peppers, courgettes or mushrooms that are on trend. In 2023, creativity is in demand when it comes to grilled vegetables.
The fact that meat alternatives are very much in vogue at BBQs does not mean that there will be no more meat on the grill at all. Rather, it's about eating less meat and paying more attention to quality. How were the animals from which the meat comes raised? In some cases, the production chain can still be easily traced. Where does the meat come from? Does it come from regional farms? Meat that has to travel long distances is more harmful to the environment and the climate simply because of the transport, as more CO2 is emitted in the process. So meat doesn't always have to end up on the grill. Besides, it is always a good idea to cut back on meat consumption in everyday life.
We have put together some ideas for vegetarian and vegan barbecues for you here:
- Black bean burger patties
- Foil vegetables - a mixture of vegetables is seasoned with a homemade spice mix and baked in aluminium foil
- Grilled corn on the cob with herb butter
- Crispy halloumi burger
- Grilled vegetables and couscous salad - balsamic marinated vegetables, roasted couscous and fresh herbs tossed in lemon vinaigrette
- Grilled cauliflower steaks - lightly seasoned and then off to the grill
- Grilled romaine lettuce with tomatoes and basil - a great side dish for a BBQ
- Grilled avocado stuffed with quinoa
- Pasta salad with grilled summer vegetables - courgettes, asparagus, sweetcorn and yellow peppers are grilled and topped with a fresh, lemony dressing;
- Carrot hot dog made of carrots, marinated in a marinade of e.g. teriyaki sauce or liquid smoke.
New barbecue preparation methods
An important part of barbecuing is the preparation of the meat, or other food. The classic American barbecue rub marinade usually contains brown sugar, pepper and chilli powder. The well-known herbs of Provence will be replaced by more exotic preparations from Africa and the Far East in 2023.
Also new is seasoning with a Japanese spice blend called togarashi, whose main flavours are peppercorns, dried chillies, citrus zest, hemp and sesame seeds and crumbled nori seaweed. Another is 'ras al hanout' from Morocco, made from a recipe that generally consists of cumin, coriander, turmeric, cinnamon and paprika.
Barbecuing with wood is becoming a trend
Roasting meat over an open fire was the first form of cooking in ancient times. Even today, men like to stand around a fire, drink a beer and prepare their beloved meat (or vegetables). The fire is usually a barbecue that runs on charcoal or gas. However, there is a trend towards grilling with a so-called smoker, which can also be operated with real wood, whereby the wood provides additional smoke flavour to the grilled food. However, not all wood is suitable for barbecuing and there are a few rules to follow before preparing the first barbecue over the fire.
The necessary fuel for the wood barbecue can now be conveniently purchased in large sacks from DIY stores or firewood dealers - dried and ready to burn. This option is recommended for all those who have no way of obtaining wood cheaply, are not confident enough to split it, are too comfortable to work by hand and/or have no space to store the logs. Of course, stove-ready wood is the most expensive. Long logs that you still have to cut and split yourself are of course cheaper.
Discover our products for a great BBQ
The following products from IBIS are ideal for your next barbecue or barbecue party with friends. Why not give them a try?
