Gas is Afrikaans for a guest at your braai, not something you braai with, nothing beats a real wood fire. Never braai with indigenous wood. Alien vegetation, like Rooikrans and black wattle, drink lots of ground water, so rather burn them.

Jan Scannell aka Jan Braai is the man behind South Africa’s National Braai Day initiative. He simply loves seeing fellow countrymen united around braais with family and friends, no matter where in the world they find themselves! His first book,Fireworks, tells you everything you need to know about braaiing.

Here are his 10 braai rules:

1. Nothing beats a real wood fire.
2. Gas is Afrikaans for a guest at your braai, not something you braai with.
3. Braaiing is the only fat-negative way of cooking food. Even when you steam food, the fat in it stays behind. When you braai, the fat drips out. Be healthy and braai.
4. Never braai with indigenous wood. Alien vegetation, like Rooikrans and black wattle, drink lots of ground water, so rather burn them. Besides, after all the sports world cups they’ve knocked us out of, it feels good to burn Australian trees.
5. Braaiing is a direct form of energy use, from the coals to your meat. With conventional electricity, there is a lot of spillage between the power plant, power lines, electricity box, wires, stove and pan. If you love the earth, braai.
6. Have enough ice at your braai. Use it for your Klippies and Coke.
7. Smoke flies to pretty people.
8. Animals eat grass, leaves and vegetables and convert them to meat. Eating meat is like eating vitamin pills.
9. A cow must only be killed once. Do not braai your steak until the flavour is dead.
10. A braaibroodjie is your chance to have your bread buttered on both sides.

What are you braaiing tonight?