Steven Raichlen's Project Fire

The Pacific Rim extends from California and the Pacific Northwest to Korea, Japan, and Southeast Asia, where exotic herbs and spices, chiles, and umami-rich fish and soy sauce make for larger-than-life flavor.

No one gathers around the stove to watch soup simmer or meat roasting in the oven.

No one gathers around the stove to watch soup simmer or meat roasting in the oven.

No one gathers around the stove to watch soup simmer or meat roasting in the oven.

No one gathers around the stove to watch soup simmer or meat roasting in the oven.

The time of day or night matters little to the world's hardcore pit masters, who think nothing of firing up grills or smokers or wood-burning ovens for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or even a late night snack.

Scroll through the images on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok, and you'll find grilled and smoked dishes of astonishing ingenuity.

The time of day or night matters little to the world's hardcore pit masters, who think nothing of firing up grills or smokers or wood-burning ovens for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or even a late night snack.

Scroll through the images on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok, and you'll find grilled and smoked dishes of astonishing ingenuity.

No one gathers around the stove to watch soup simmer or meat roasting in the oven.

The time of day or night matters little to the world's hardcore pit masters, who think nothing of firing up grills or smokers or wood-burning ovens for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or even a late night snack.

Scroll through the images on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok, and you'll find grilled and smoked dishes of astonishing ingenuity.

The time of day or night matters little to the world's hardcore pit masters, who think nothing of firing up grills or smokers or wood-burning ovens for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or even a late night snack.

The time of day or night matters little to the world's hardcore pit masters, who think nothing of firing up grills or smokers or wood-burning ovens for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or even a late night snack.

Call it globalization's upside. Call it melting pot extreme.

Call it globalization's upside. Call it melting pot extreme.

Call it globalization's upside. Call it melting pot extreme.

Call it globalization's upside. Call it melting pot extreme.

Scroll through the images on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok, and you'll find grilled and smoked dishes of astonishing ingenuity.

Scroll through the images on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok, and you'll find grilled and smoked dishes of astonishing ingenuity.

Call it globalization's upside. Call it melting pot extreme.

One of the oldest methods of live-fire cooking, rotisserie grilling (aka spit-roasting) combines the smoky sear of direct grilling with the gentle, moisture-preserving heat of roasting.

One of the oldest methods of live-fire cooking, rotisserie grilling (aka spit-roasting) combines the smoky sear of direct grilling with the gentle, moisture-preserving heat of roasting.

One of the oldest methods of live-fire cooking, rotisserie grilling (aka spit-roasting) combines the smoky sear of direct grilling with the gentle, moisture-preserving heat of roasting.

One of the oldest methods of live-fire cooking, rotisserie grilling (aka spit-roasting) combines the smoky sear of direct grilling with the gentle, moisture-preserving heat of roasting.

One of the oldest methods of live-fire cooking, rotisserie grilling (aka spit-roasting) combines the smoky sear of direct grilling with the gentle, moisture-preserving heat of roasting.

The time of day or night matters little to the world's hardcore pit masters, who think nothing of firing up grills or smokers or wood-burning ovens for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or even a late night snack.

The time of day or night matters little to the world's hardcore pit masters, who think nothing of firing up grills or smokers or wood-burning ovens for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or even a late night snack.

The time of day or night matters little to the world's hardcore pit masters, who think nothing of firing up grills or smokers or wood-burning ovens for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or even a late night snack.

The time of day or night matters little to the world's hardcore pit masters, who think nothing of firing up grills or smokers or wood-burning ovens for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or even a late night snack.

The time of day or night matters little to the world's hardcore pit masters, who think nothing of firing up grills or smokers or wood-burning ovens for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or even a late night snack.

Long before there were gas grills and charcoal, before rotisseries and planchas, there was fire.

Long before there were gas grills and charcoal, before rotisseries and planchas, there was fire.

Long before there were gas grills and charcoal, before rotisseries and planchas, there was fire.

Long before there were gas grills and charcoal, before rotisseries and planchas, there was fire.

Long before there were gas grills and charcoal, before rotisseries and planchas, there was fire.