Germany's BBQ championship
Some 39 teams competed in Germany's annual grill championship over the weekend. Each was required to prepare a six-course meal - including a vegetarian dish and dessert.
Spareribs and wraps
Michael Hoffmann from North Rhine-Westfalia and his grill team "Gut Glut" won this year's German grill championship in Fulda. It's Hoffmann's fourth title.
A new BBQ capital each year
Each year, some 10,000 visitors flock to the annual BBQ event. It rotates cities and was held in Fulda in central Germany this time. This year, the featured side event was a Dutch oven presentation, where the grill teams demonstrated how to use cast iron pots on the BBQ.
Bye-bye bratwurst
Times are changing in the German grill scene. The ordinary bratwurst was scratched from the menu at this year's championship, since organizers considered it too commonplace. The decision was controversial, however, and earned German grill association president Volker Elm the nickname "bratwurst murderer."
Veggies are the new meat
One of the six dishes the grill teams had to prepare was vegetarian - a requirement that's been around for a few years already. Asparagus and cheese were among the meat alternatives the participants chose in an effort to wow the 120-person jury.
The art of the BBQ
"At the grill championships, star cuisine from the grill is presented - it's an art," said Volker Elm, president of Germany's grill association GBA ahead of the event. Both professionals and amateurs joined in the competition, vying for the 14,000 euros ($15,500) in prize money that was at stake.
Popular German pastime
Whether on the balcony or in the park, grilling is a very popular summer activity in Germany. In typical German households, though, barbecuing is not so much of a progressive art, but an archaic tradition. Most Germans prefer coal over gas grills and statistics show that more men than women typically stand at the BBQ - which is also true at the grill championship.
A self-sufficient machine
In some cases, grilling has become a high-tech undertaking. This smoker even has a miniature calculator. Not sure when your meat is done? Then your grill will tell you when it's time to take it off. This smoker, which was invented by a student from Bremen, is also remote-controlled.