German are on fire for the barbecue enjoyment

Marketagent.com surveyed members of its online panels to their habits and preferences on Grill

Idealized Grill friends in Germany fire in the summer months, every two to three weeks a charcoal grill on, throwing mostly sausages and pork on the selfsame, gather two to four like-minded people around and let the man in the house act as "grill master" - these are the results of a current survey, the online market and opinion research institute under Marketagent.com 1.000 members of his online access panels to one - on summer days - has performed literally hot topic.

Grilling has cult status. From a historical perspective, the oldest method of preparing food over a heat source is very popular in Germany. Almost 85 out of 100 respondents (84,3%) state that food is prepared on a grill at least occasionally in their household. 

38,1% of them indulge in this passion in the summer months between May and September on average once every two to three weeks, a total of about the same number grill once a week (28,8%) or even more frequently (9,4%). The remaining quarter (23,7%) take it a little easier and grill at most once a month or less.

For 81,1%, the place where the popular open-air preparation of meals usually takes place is in the immediate vicinity of the home, i.e. the garden, courtyard or terrace. After all, almost ten out of 100 of those interviewed by Marketagent.com (9,8%) state that they grill “out in the open”, 5,5% go to the park to do so.

And almost a quarter (23,8%) also use the opportunity to sizzle on their own balcony, which of course immediately raises the question of the device used. In most cases, the runner-up among the grills is probably in use on "balconies": 27% of those surveyed use an electric grill. Significantly more than two thirds (68,1%) still swear by good old charcoal. Gas, lava stone or disposable grills are becoming increasingly popular, but are currently (still) reserved for a minority of well under ten percent.

The vote for the right "grill master" is even clearer than the answer to the question about the instrument used: For more than three quarters (76,5%) of those surveyed, "the man in the house" is the person who normally stands at the grill. In just under a fifth (19,6%), the woman grills and at least five out of 100 respondents (5,2%) like to be spoiled in this respect by their own offspring.

There are no limits to the imagination when it comes to selecting the dishes to be exposed to the open heat, but the classics land in the first three places: 86,6% of those surveyed grilled sausages, 83,5% pork and 73,5% poultry . Vegetarian dishes, bread and vegetables are commonly on the grill for four in ten respondents – fish and seafood are grilled by 29,3% and 10% respectively. More than six out of ten people (61,2%) state that they prepare their grilled food on skewers, which allows a wide variety of options with regard to the ingredients skewered.

Observing and admiring the "grill master" and of course the subsequent eating is the most fun in a group. It is therefore not surprising that only one in 100 respondents (1,2%) states that they usually barbecue alone - just as few (1,2%) are gathered around the fire with a double-digit number of people. Most (60,9%) prefer to enjoy it in a manageable group of three to five people, for a good one in ten (11,4%) barbecue time is time for togetherness.

Of course, Marketagent.com also took a look at the non-barbecueers: The decisive question as to why the sixth of all respondents here do not prepare any food in the popular way is answered in a variety of ways: A suitable place (46,5%) or the corresponding devices (33,8%) are missing for most of the “refusals”. A fifth (21,0%) shy away from the effort involved in barbecuing. Reasons for taste (14%) and a basically meat-free diet (13,4%) are also repeatedly mentioned reasons.

Due to the carcinogenic substances produced by the great heat and, for example, dripping fat, many active grillers also have health concerns in their activities. But only 8,3% of those surveyed by Marketagent.com for this study are a reason to give up grilling altogether.

Source: Munich [ Marketagent.com ]