The thrill of the grill

Every country has a fire cooking culture. In a world of high spec barbecues, precision meat thermometers and even phone apps that notify you when the burger needs flipping, it is easy to forget that this is the most primeval form of cuisine. From the South African braai to the South American asado, Japanese robata and New Zealand hāngī – a Maori technique that buries food over hot stones – this is cooking at its most elemental. Still today, when gas or electricity can be fired up at the flick of a switch, prehistoric cooking methods thrive. Why?