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Have you ever heard of a car that burns wood? I was talking to a man in his 80s who remembers riding in wood gas cars. When he was a child, gasoline was very expensive. It was easier and cheaper to get wood, so they built cars with engines on the back that burned wood instead of gasoline. There were many of these cars in Europe, too. The engine looked like a big water heater. When the car stopped, the driver or the passengers would get out and put more wood into the engine. Some people have started driving this kind of car again, especially in countries with a lot of trees like Finland. (by Prof. Douglas Jarrell. You can read more such short stories at http://catchawave.jp/m/jm/)
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(Image from https://www.musclecarszone.com)

grilled meat 焼き肉;
smoky 煙る;
season 〈食物・料理などに〉味をつける;

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Most people like to stay inside when it is very cold, but there is one city where people celebrate winter by eating outside. Kitami City in northern Hokkaido has many indoor grilled meat restaurants, but it also holds a Japanese-style barbecue festival outside at the beginning of February. The temperature can go below minus 20 degrees, but there are about 2,000 people who come to eat outside in the evening. They sit around smoky “shichirin” (small barbecues) and grill the fresh meat, using salt and pepper or special sauces to season it. (by Prof. Douglas Jarrell)
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