When Raichlen traveled the world while researching The Barbecue Bible, he often relied on hand gestures to convey “I write about food” when language was a barrier. During that four-year, 200,000-mile odyssey, Raichlen found inspiration in the world's barbecue masters.
“There is a great pride that's universal. The overriding commonality of those who grill is that passion. It's a cooking method that's uncomfortable; the grill may be 11,000 degrees; you may be downwind in smoke; you may have to get up at 4 in the morning,” he says, recalling his journey.
“There is often this perception of barbecue recipes being secret, but in the Third World, especially, people were so generous about sharing their knowledge,” Raichlen adds.