To many people, grilling is all about charcoal or sticks and charcoal. As we've said, we like grilling on charcoal, gas, and smoking using charcoal and even wood. Historically speaking, the origins of grilling started when humans first 'domesticated' the use of fire nearly 500,000 years ago. In recent history, what we call barbecue comes from the Arawak people of South America. The Arawak's roasted mean on wooden structures that the Spanish called Barbacoa.
In the United States, what we call grilling today was restricted to picnics and camping until the 1940s. Whether you use lump charcoal or briquettes, we can all point to the Ford Motor Company as an integral player in the history of charcoal grilling. When Ford introduced the Model T, his relative (and employee), E.G. Kingsford saw an opportunity with all of the wood scraps that the manufacturing line was creating. Ford built a facility in Michigan to manufacture their briquettes to sell through Ford dealerships. Ford continued to operate the charcoal company from 1920 to 1951.
Basting kebabs of beef, onion, zucchini, and red peppers over a grill
The next step in the mass adoption of charcoal grilling was the advent of the 'Sputnik,' also known as the hemispherical grill. Weber-Stevens product is the company that sold the Sputnik grill. This company name was since shortened. The company is now known as Weber, and that grill is now known as 'the Kettle.'
Today, Kingsford has nearly 80% of the US market for charcoal and the name Weber is synonymous with 'grill.' Here are our latest updates in the Charcoal grilling category.
Charcoal Grilling Articles
We are just getting started with our content rollout, so look for us on social media and on the web as we help ourselves and our followers to entertain and make some great food and drinks for friends and family.
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