So, he asked me "What does BBQ Mean to you?"...

Recently I was working on filling out a questionnaire from Scott of Starvin' Marvins BBQ Team. As part of it, one of the questions was "What does BBQ Mean to you?". Not wanting to be overly wordy, which I am known to be at times, I gave the following response.

"BBQ to me means a couple of different things. If you look at the literal translation, it means to slow cook meat over a wood or charcoal fire to infuse it with smoke. But, there is something deeper to it as well. It's a lifestyle. You learn to appreciate meat and food at a whole new level. Things are much more methodically done and, every meal can be turned into a great event to bring people together. It's also a skill that can be passed on to other generations. Anyone can learn to cook but, you have to be raised to appreciate good food and the work that goes into preparing it."

Ever since I gave this response, I still can't stop thinking about the question. I don't know about everyone else but, for me, no matter if you call it; BBQ, Barbecue, barbaque, Que, Bar-b-que, or whatever term you most prefer, it changes peoples lives. There are so many people that I have met that the world of BBQ has opened up so many doors for. It always starts out the same, people get a taste of it and it causes them to wonder how to make it themselves. This then causes them to seek out information, they then put the information to practice, and then they seek out people to share the fruits of their labor with. A strange thing happens along the way though, most don't realize it but, it becomes less and less about the food and more and more about the people. Whether it is talking to people about learning new recipes, methods, or techniques or, it's sharing with people their latest delicious creation, either way, it's the pure and simple fact that people are interacting with people. How many hobbies/passions can we think of now-a-days that actually cause people to want to seek out other people? In a world where things move faster constantly and it comes more and more about electronic interaction than physical interaction, BBQ is continuing to push forward with gathering people together. Every cook may not be a success but, it's the act of us getting together and sharing that is truly the most valuable gift we all receive from BBQ. Some of us might get careers out of it, others might just gain a new cooking skill. There are few things that when we look back on when we get older that we will cherish more than our memories created around outdoor cooking. Think about all the family cookouts you had as a kid and think now as an adult upon the memories you make with your own families. We don't always get to spend as much times with our families as we would like but, it's good to know that BBQ is one of the things continuing to strengthen the bonds of family.

So, as you can obviously see, when you get to thinking about "What does BBQ mean to you?" it's almost easier to look at what it doesn't mean to you. Although, I don't find that nearly as rewarding or satisfying to think about. Life is what we make it but, BBQ helps make it a bit more worth it.

Thanks for looking.