CNN picks the world’s best barbecues — Taiwan’s Mongolian barbecue makes the list

▲Photo shows the Mongolian barbecue at Pin Huayuan. (Photo / Huang Shiyuan)

Travel Center / Comprehensive Report

BBQ is one of Americans’ favorite outdoor activities in summer. Come the holidays, they gather friends for backyard barbecues, while in Taiwan, the craze for barbecues peaks during the traditional Mid-Autumn Festival. But it’s not just the U.S. and Taiwan—many countries have their own distinctive styles of barbecue. CNN has selected 10 of the world’s best barbecues, and Taiwan’s Mongolian barbecue is on the list, though it might be a bit different from what Taiwanese people are most familiar with.

CNN’s selection of the world’s best barbecues includes South Africa’s traditional braai, Argentina’s asado, Japan’s yakitori (chicken skewers), Brazil’s churrasco, the Philippines’ lechon (roast suckling pig), India’s tandoori chicken, Taiwan’s Mongolian barbecue, Fiji’s lovo (earth oven feast), Samoa’s umu (stone cooking), Korea’s gogigui (Korean BBQ), and Peru’s pachamanca.

Mongolian barbecue was once all the rage in Taiwan, where various meats, toppings, and sauces are tossed and stir-fried on a large grill, filling the air with mouthwatering aromas. However, there aren’t many Mongolian barbecue restaurants on the streets these days.