here’s something primal about cooking over fire. The crackle of wood, the smoky aroma, the way flames kiss ingredients with an unpredictable touch. It connects us to centuries of tradition while fuelling today’s hottest culinary trend. In 2025, open-flame cooking isn’t just about backyard barbecues. It’s at the centre of fine dining, street food, and home kitchens around the world.
Fire as Flavour
Chefs are rediscovering what ancient cultures always knew: fire adds layers of depth you can’t replicate with gas or induction. The char of vegetables, the caramelisation of meat fat dripping on coals, the subtle smokiness from different woods all contribute to flavour complexity.
Restaurants are experimenting with oak, applewood, and even grapevine trimmings to infuse dishes with distinct notes. According to Food & Wine, wood choice has become as important to some chefs as salt or spice (Food & Wine).
A Global Culinary Revival
Open-fire cooking has roots in almost every culture:
- Argentina: Asado traditions with whole animals grilled low and slow over embers.
- Japan: Robatayaki, where skewers are cooked over charcoal for theatre and precision.
- Middle East: Shawarma and kebabs roasting on vertical spits.
- Nordic countries: Foraging-based cuisine often finished over wood embers for rustic authenticity.
In 2025, these traditions are inspiring chefs to bring fire indoors, creating custom-built hearths in restaurants and blending ancestral techniques with modern presentation.
Fire in Fine Dining
Michelin-starred restaurants from Copenhagen to Melbourne are centring menus around flame. Chefs see it as both a flavour enhancer and a storytelling tool. Diners watch vegetables blister, bread rise, and proteins char in real time. It is theatrical, sensory, and rooted in sustainability. Many kitchens are using fire as a way to reduce energy costs while connecting guests to primal cooking.
Even tasting menus are being reimagined around the “journey of fire,” with each course exploring smoke, char, and flame.
Fire in Street Food
Street vendors have always understood the allure of smoke. Satay skewers in Singapore, tacos al carbon in Mexico, and jerk chicken in Jamaica all rely on flames to lock in flavour. What is new is the global recognition of street food chefs as masters of fire. Food festivals now highlight live-fire cook-offs, and social media is spreading the appeal of flame-kissed dishes far beyond local markets.
Home Kitchens Embrace the Flame
It is not just restaurants. Home cooks are embracing open-flame cooking. Outdoor kitchens are booming in popularity, with pizza ovens, charcoal grills, and fire pits becoming household staples. According to The Guardian, sales of wood-fired ovens and kamado-style grills have risen steadily as people seek more hands-on, sensory cooking experiences (The Guardian).
Tech is meeting tradition too. Smart thermometers, airflow control systems, and fireproof ceramics make it easier for home cooks to replicate restaurant-level fire cooking safely.
Why Fire is Back
- Connection to tradition: It ties us to ancestral cooking rituals.
- Flavour complexity: Smoke, char, and caramelisation cannot be replicated.
- Experience: Watching food transform over flame engages all senses.
- Sustainability: Fire can be powered by renewable wood or plant waste, reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
- Wellness and mindfulness: Cooking with fire is slower, more intentional, and often more social.
Final Thoughts
The return of open-flame cooking in 2025 reflects a hunger for authenticity and connection. Whether at a fine dining restaurant, a street stall, or your own backyard, cooking over fire brings food to life in a way that feels both ancient and modern. As chefs and home cooks embrace the flame, one thing is clear. Fire is not just a method, it is a movement.
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