As found in many studies, including the independent Forum Health Initiative Study led by Dr Guppie du Preez, braaing food is the healthiest way of preparing it, as it has a negative fat count. When you fry food, it gains fat. When you steam food, it does not gain fat, but does not lose any fat either. However, when you braai food, the fat drips out onto the coals and in effect you are eating fat-free food!

Jan Scannell, the man behind National Braai Day shares an easy 12-step programme to building a traditional South African braai:

1. Get hold of dry wood, preferably chopped from alien vegetation.

2. Get hold of firelighters, petrol, diesel, paraffin or any other highly flammable matter like a wig.

3. Place the firelighters on the surface where you want to light the fire.

4. Place two pieces of wood parallel to each other on either side of the firelighters.

5. Now place another two pieces on top of the first two. The second two must be parallel to each other, but at a 90-degree angle to the first two.

6. Place piece of wood number five and six on next, at the same angle as the original two.

7. Repeat this step, until you have a stack of about 10 or 12 pieces of wood resembling a Jenga game.

8. If you think that your wood is wet, throw on about half a cup of flammable liquid now.

9. Stand upwind from the fire, light a match, and light one of the firelighters with it. If you added flammable liquid, take care as there might be a little mini explosion.

10. As you grow more experienced, you will be able to use less firelighters, and can start experimenting by packing tripple layers of wood, instead of double layers.

11. When the fire has caught, and is comfortably burning, the smoke will subside. At this point you can also add more wood should you wish to braai later, and first finish watching the rugby.

12. Ensure that you have proper braai tongs on hand to control any wayward burning logs. As the fire starts to burn out, it is quite common that some pieces of wood will shift position, and end up somewhere that you did not intend it to.

Essentials for a Braai:

Enough wood for enough coals. To not run out of coals mid-braai. It’s embarrassing and bad for your ego.

Enough Ice. Three reasons. To put in your Klipdrift and Coke. To put your beer in. To treat the wound of the person who steps onto a coal.

A braai grid. We are past the days of putting meat on a stick. Preferably a stainless steel number, as they keep their shape better. A tripod or other gadget to rest the grid on. If you do not have this, not a train smash, go to the nearest building site and get three bricks.