Charlotte Journal: BBQ 06/10/2014

 

Charlotte Journal 06/10/2014


Suffocating hot air brushes my face when I go out, and tells me of the arrival of summer. The rooftop pool at my apartment building is always packed in the summer. More people jog and walk with their dogs in the parks. And, a good smell drifts out of nowhere. Yes! It is the season of BBQ. So, let’s talk about BBQ now.


　BBQ has a deep root in the life of the US, and its popularity in the US is no match for Japan. Almost every family has at least one BBQ grill. Even those living in an apartment have a grill installed on a small balcony. BBQ grills are not only owned by individual households but are also placed in the public parks so that anyone can use it as they want. My apartment has BBQ grills in the front yard and the poolside for common use. The residents invite their friends and hold raucous parties. The smoke and the savory smell of BBQ drift all over. The whole city is indeed in an uproar with BBQ.


　

  The South is referred to as the home of BBQ, and the Southerners are more particular about BBQ. BBQ sauces at the restaurants are home-made with their secret recipes. Many people like to have Pulled Pork with BBQ sauce, and I tried it several times. It is tasty indeed! But it’s heavy with strong flavor! I get full with a few bites and become strangely thirsty. When you think of the BBQ sauce that MacDonald’s in Japan serves with its Chicken Nuggets, the BBQ sauce in the US is completely different stuff in terms of its density and depth of the taste. But everyone looks so happy when I look around. Waiters talk to me with an angelic smile on their face: “How do you like the BBQ?”, “Isn’t that good?”, “You made a great choice!” I would rather have BBQ with soy sauce, but it is not so bad to enjoy the taste of outdoor camping easily in a restaurant.



By the way, when you have BBQ at home, it is the father’s work to prepare it. Whether people call for gender-free or whatever, families rely largely on fathers to make a fire and grill foods in the smoke. It will be Father’s Day soon, and many families have a BBQ on Father’s Day. When I asked my colleague what he usually does on Father’s Day, he replied to me one word “grill”. Father’s Day is supposed to be a day to say thanks to fathers, but the fathers in the US cannot rest quietly.