We discovered barbecue before we even discovered how to tame fire. And once we figured out how to make fire on purpose — and control it — nothing changed the world more. That happened about 750,000 years ago. Astonishingly, even though we had all the ingredients, we didn't perfect the process until about a century ago, when the good folks at Fresh Air Barbecue in Jackson, GA first fired up the pit and opened their doors.

Now how we cook is changing fast — some cities are banning wood-burning ovens in restaurants. BBQ joints and home chefs are fast converting to electric or propane fired cookers. A future where we cook without fire is foreseeable. We thought we better get the story down right before it fades away. And nobody does it better than Fresh Air.