Summary
The word "barbecue" comes from the Taíno people in the Caribbean, who used a wooden frame called "barabicu" to cook over fire, which was later adapted by Spanish explorers to "barbacoa." This method of cooking has ancient roots but became widespread in its current form through encounters between Europeans and Indigenous people in the Caribbean.
Key Facts
- The word "barbecue" comes from the Taíno language in the Caribbean.
- "Barabicu" was a wooden frame used by the Taínos to cook over fire.
- Spanish explorers adapted the word "barabicu" to "barbacoa."
- Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo y Valdés first used the term "barbacoa" in print in 1526.
- The Taínos were an Indigenous group in the Caribbean with complex social structures.
- The Taínos cooked various animals, including rodents, fish, and birds, using this method.
- The cooking style spread with the Taíno people, who migrated from Venezuela.
