The new FIRE&FOOD will be published on February 28, 2025
Dear readers,
It's almost time: the new edition of FIRE&FOOD BBQ magazine will be published on February 28th. Our Brazilian colleague Paizão got me thinking with his emotional article on Fogo de Chão - the South American "ground fire" that corresponds to our campfire. He describes barbecuing in its most original form. He reports on the spiritual meaning of fire and the communal preparation of the grilled food, which has been passed down unchanged for centuries.
With regard to my own grilling process, I realized that I really appreciate the way I handle fire when grilling and often find myself watching the flames play for minutes. And there is a lot of strength and spirituality in holding a barbecue that you give all the time it needs. It's not just about preparing the food to fill you up, but also about nourishing the soul. This spiritual aspect of grilling is becoming increasingly less important when using today's grills - powered by electricity and smart. The technical features mean that grilling is guaranteed to be a success.
In my environment, I observe that - at least it feels like it - half of the barbecue enthusiasts appreciate the original "ground fire" just as much as I do. The other half swear by the technical assistance options. And the trend in the barbecue market is clearly pointing towards smart devices powered by electricity. Wood and charcoal fires are on the decline, and in some places there is even talk of bans. But we shouldn't let fire be taken away from us, otherwise we will lose important incentives for barbecuing: meeting together around the fire, exchanging ideas and sharing and enjoying spiritual and culinary moments.
We were on the road again for this issue. In Sweden we unpacked the grills on a canoe trip and our grill reporter Peter Kemnitzer was initiated into the secrets of authentic Swahili cuisine on the Kenyan tropical island of Lamu. Meat experts such as David Pietralla (resting phase), Philipp Sontag (hanging tender) and Ronny Paulusch (air-dried ham) show us what is important and right when dealing with meat.
Never before have there been so many different grilling topics in a FIRE&FOOD issue. Accompanying topics such as our "coffee pages" have been reduced in scope, with more space being given to grilling technology and recipes. When introducing new grills, we will in future concentrate even more on the absolute latest innovations and give them a more extensive presence.
And we'll be showing our presence live again this year. Maybe we'll meet at one of our events. At the Father's Day BBQ with Lucki Maurer in Bayreuth or in September at the BBQ WEEK in Cologne.
Further events – and their dates – can be found in our event calendar .
Stay healthy everyone! Always a great heat under the grill wishes you
Elmar Fetscher, editor
