Barbecue - Part II

Method of cooking is not the only difference in barbecue. So is the food served.

What would you prepare for a barbecue? The answer is seemingly obvious, but not quite. In Hong Kong, it is 'obviously' meat balls (Chinese style, not to be mistaken with those loosely pressed mince meat parcels that crumble readily in the West), Frankfruter sausages, chicken wings, thinly sliced pork chops and beef steaks (of course seasoned with black pepper), corn on cob and last but not least marshmallows!

In the UK, pork chop or beef steaks would have been a rarity, typically offered at more luxury parties. Most would opt for British sausages or burger steaks (beef or lamb), occasionally chicken thighs (only lightly seasoned, extra taste added by squirting various sauces upon completion) and fish (usually salmon fillet).

How do you eat? In the UK version with sausages and burgers, one simply add on 2 pieces of bread or buns, turn the grilled meat into the centrepiece of a burger or hotdog, then consume. In the cases of chicken thighs or fish, pasta or couscous might be prepared in advance to go with the meat on a nice dish - best taken with knives and forks. This means a burger/sausage or two, or a hearty dish of chicken/fish, and one calls it a day.

In Hong Kong, with these mini pieces of meatballs, wings etc served, barbecue is designed to be a food party, not a special way of having a normal meal. Lasting a hour or two, one would casually chat with each other while grilling rounds of food, harvesting them when ready. Few items besides the grill would be consumed. Rather unthinkable to turn a grilled frankfruter into a hotdog, or grilled steak into steak & salad.

In Guilliver's Travels the 2 countries waged war against each otehr because they couldn't agree on which end of a boiled egg to consume first during breakfast. Sounds like a small dispute, but it is not so small after all - as we see it in this case of barbecue.