subject: Thank The Native Americans For Your Barbecue Sauce [print this page] Native Americans were in North America for thousands of years before the European settlers arrived to discover the new world. Their immense knowledge of the land helped them produce and use all that it had to offer. When Spanish explorer Hernando De Soto arrived in the Caribbean he saw the natives cooling game meats over open fire on wooden racks. He gave the practice the term "Barbacoa," which was an adaptation of an Arwak Indian word, which meant, "to cook over coals." This was the beginning of an American obsession with grilling and an industry of barbecue sauce and barbecue supplies that is growing still today.
While we hear so much about Thanksgiving and the Pilgrims who arrived at Plymouth to have the great feast with the Indian tribes of the Northeast, we rarely hear about De Soto and his experience with the grilling. While we all love that turkey and cranberry sauce during the holiday season, we Americans absolutely adore our outdoor grilling slathered in some kind of barbecue sauce. We love it so much that we even grill our turkeys sometimes for Thanksgiving! The discovery of the outdoor grilling is truly much more significant in many ways than the great Pilgrim story we are all so familiar with.
In modern times our Thanksgiving traditions have become deeply embedded in tons of food, family, and in many homes football. So, for the grilling world, we yield this one, or sometimes two weeks of events if you count Christmas with a ham or turkey as well, to not having barbecue sauce on some ribs or biting into that perfectly grilled bratwurst. But, a football season is over twenty weeks long as you go into the playoffs, and at least eighteen of those weeks are spent using your grill in your backyard or tailgating at the stadium. I haven't seen too many people serving cranberry sauce and stuffing while throwing back beers outside Soldier field in Chicago, or Lambeau Field in Green Bay. I would guarantee that the bratwurst is king there!
All in all, the importance of remembering significant historical moments is key when you are sitting down with family and friends, enjoying a tangy barbecue sauce drizzling off of a savory piece of meat, and celebrating a special occasion. So, next time you are having a great time at such an event, raise your glass and toast Mr. De Soto and the great natives that brought you such joy.
by: John Schnieder
welcome to Insurances.net (https://www.insurances.net)
