Viva la Barbacoa!

I mentioned last week that while I was in Spain we had some lovely braais!

This is particularly relevant as we have our National Braai Day (aka Heritage Day), coming up on the 24 September. On this day the (almost) entire country will squint at the sky, test the wind (especially down our way), and check that there are chops, wors, (my favourite sausages are the locally made pork ones), maybe a rump or two in the freezer and of course plenty of beer in the fridge. Then it is simply a matter of building the fire with either wood, as we do, (using rooikrans which is an alien invasive tree but makes excellent coals,) or, grab a bag of charcoal and pile as many bits as you think you will need into the receptacle, light the match and keep out of the smoke!

If by any chance the flames leap up as the fat from the wors drips onto the coals, well, the chap nearest the heat simply chucks beer over it and that all adds to the flavour. That and the odd burnt bit, especially from the porkies that must be really well done!

Rob's braai. Delicious! (Pic thanks to Rob)

Add some mielie pap, tomato and onion gravy and some avocado, and your braai is done!

Simple!

Not so in Spain!
Andrew has a lovely gas braai that they have used a few times. They do have a 'proper' braai built from bricks but it is under the carport and very close to the car so they don't use that one. We had several lunchtime braais and the last Friday that I was there, we decided to have an evening braai. It was the most beautiful evening, warm and calm, so we sat on the patio with a beer and decided that we would braai a little later. Now, let me explain. Evening in Spain stretches to about midnight, as in summer it is still light at 10.


Just as we were contemplating firing up the gas, there was a commotion in the street. We saw flashing blue lights, we heard sirens and we smelled smoke. By the time Andrew had gone to find out what was happening, a jolly crowd had gathered and there was much talking and laughing. The Spanish people are very friendly and I expected to see wine and olives being passed around! Then we heard a loudhailer and a Forestry Patrol Vehicle arrived as well. Andrew came back looking a little worried.
And the problem?
An illegal 'barbacoa'! (Spanish spelling there.)
Apparently somebody a few houses down had decided to have a braai. (I have a feeling they were English speaking!)

There are rules to be followed if you want to braai in Spain. If you live in an apartment block, you can never have a braai at home! If you live in a house with a garden, you may braai, if you have got permission!

And it goes like this:
You phone the police to come and inspect your property. If you are very lucky, they will come soon. If you are not so lucky they may take months to get to you. Andrew has been waiting since they moved in last year! If you have a built in braai, there must be no trees near it or hanging over it and it must not be under cover. There must be water nearby, a hose fixed to a tap is good. A watering can filled and at the ready is dodgy. Once you have had the nod from the police that all is well and your braai is safe to use.........read on.

Every time you want to braai, you have to give the police a 3 day warning. That means you phone them and tell them your intention to braai in 3 days time. They will then know that when they drive by on their normal patrols, the smoke they see is legally allowed and they will not worry you. So, that completely cuts out those spur-of-the-moment-what-a-lovely-evening braai, or those friends-you-haven't-seen-for-ages braai, a family-celebration braai, Western-Province-winning-the-Currie-Cup braai, the boks-knocking-Aus-off-the-number-1-cricket-spot braai, or the just-because-we-feel-like-it braai!
Well, by this time, Andrew and I were thinking along the lines of toast for supper as the braai is off! He wasn't sure about the rules for a gas braai, so we didn't want to take a chance as the fine for illegal braaing is quite steep...........especially once you convert it into rands!

The party was still going on in the street so off he went to find out and was gone for ages! And he came back with good news! And a Forestry chap in tow who stuck his head in the property to look around.

Gas braais were allowed anytime as long as there was a water supply close by, just in case! He gave Andrew the all-clear and left.

Spanish braai time! Legal smoke!

So we had a lovely, lazy, tasty braai and enjoyed every mouthful.

Somehow I cannot see our population agreeing to those terms!

Or our police force managing to keep it all under control!

Happy Braai Day!