The Big Green Egg

The Big Green Egg is the brand name of a kamado-style ceramic charcoal cooker which is manufactured in a variety of sizes.

History

The Big Green Egg is commonly referred to as a kamado barbecue because of the origins of the basic design that lie in southern Japan.

The word "mushikamado" means "steam cooker" (from "mushi" meaning "to steam", and "kamado" meaning "cooker, oven, or kiln") The mushikamado was a device designed to steam rice and used by Japanese families for ceremonial occasions and took the shape of a round clay pot with a removable domed clay lid. It was also distinctive in that it featured a top damper and bottom draft door for superior temperature control.Fact|date=November 2007. The mushikamado first came to the attention of the Americans after World War II when US Air Force servicemen would bring them back from Japan in empty transport planesFact|date=November 2007. It wasn’t until the late 1960s that manufacturing started in the Americas. The Big Green Egg Company was founded in 1974 and is based in Tucker, Georgia in the USA. Production of the Big Green Egg takes place in Mexico.Fact|date=November 2007

Technology

The shape of the Egg reflects ancient technology in that it is designed to contain the heat with only a small vent at the top to create a draft to keep the fire going. Today’s Egg is manufactured from high fiber ceramics developed for the space shuttle program specifically designed to reflect heat and this allows temperatures of up to 1200 degrees Fahrenheit to be reached. The external surface has a high gloss ceramic glaze applied to provide crack and weather resistance.

Fuel

The Big Green Egg is a charcoal barbecue - the manufacturers recommend lump wood charcoal because alternatives such as charcoal briquettes contain many additives that can contaminate the flavour of the food. The sealed design of the grill results in a slow burn that uses small amounts of charcoal compared to a regular grill and lump wood charcoal also creates little ash.

Uses

Big Green Eggs can be used for smoking or grilling and with the addition of accessories one can also bake bread or cook a pizza.cite web
last = Levitt
first = Jonathan
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = Put all your grilling in one Big Green Egg
work =
publisher = The Boston Globe
date = 2007-05-23
url = http://www.boston.com/ae/food/articles/2007/05/23/put_all_your_grilling_in_one_big_green_egg/
format =
doi =
accessdate = 2007-11-09 ]

Grill parts

In addition to the outer ceramic shell there is draft opening to provide air to the ceramic firebox in the base of the unit. There’s a separate daisy wheel damper unit on the top to give air flow control and therefore temperature regulation. An accessory called a plate setter can be placed above the firebox - this will prevent direct cooking of the food when using the unit as a smoker. Between the base and the lid is a felt gasket designed to maximise moisture retention during long cookouts.

Eggheads

Big Green Egg barbecues have quite an enthusiastic following of amateur chefs and the collective name given these enthusiasts is “Eggheads”. Every year there is a global gathering of Eggheads called “Eggtoberfest” where recipes are swapped and experiences passed along.

See also

* Kamado
* Charcoal
* Hibachi
* Shichirin
* Barbecue
* Brustolina

References

External links

* [http://www.biggreenegg.com/ The Big Green Egg manufacturer's website]
* [http://www.biggreenegghead.com/ biggreenegghead.com: a site for eggheads]