Summertime and barbecues, they were meant for each other.

And if you ask world-traveling barbecue specialist Pat Momany of TaTu BBQ, he’ll tell you, “barbecue is not a cuisine, it’s an event.”

It’s not about barbecue as a food style, it’s about barbecue as a lifestyle, he added.

Momany, who just returned from cooking for wounded soldiers in Germany, will be teaching BBQ school from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. March 15 for SpringaPalooza at Barefoot Backyards, 26343 NE Bond Road — across from the giant giraffe — near Highway 104 in Kingston.

Cost is $49, proceeds benefit the Fisher House, which provides aid to military and veteran families.

“I think it’s important that people understand the history of smoking,” Momany said. “How it came from the Caribbean up through the coast and how it turned into American barbecue.”

He said he aims to teach people the principles and basics of smoking and barbecuing — everything from rubs and sauces to different types of woods and coal management.

“The thing that turns me on to (smokers) is there’s no hectic rush,” Momany said. “You just put it in and kick back for however many beers it takes to cook.”

Info: Call Barefoot Backyards (360) 297-4543 to reserve a spot. Taste Momany’s barbecue at TaTu BBQ off Lemolo Drive in Poulsbo or call (360) 779-3144.