A briquette is a block of compressed fuel designed to burn slowly and steadily. The most common type is a charcoal briquette, those dark gray blocks people use for grilling hamburgers and hot dogs at backyard barbecues. These briquettes are made by compressing charcoal dust, coal dust, or sawdust with a binding agent, then shaping the mixture into uniform chunks.

Briquettes solve a practical problem: loose charcoal or coal dust would burn too quickly and unevenly, making it hard to cook food properly. By pressing the fuel into dense blocks, manufacturers create something that burns at a consistent temperature for a predictable amount of time. This makes briquettes perfect for grilling, where you need steady heat for 30 minutes or more.

Besides charcoal, briquettes can be made from peat, wood, or even compressed paper. In some parts of the world, people make briquettes from agricultural waste like rice husks or corn cobs, turning materials that might otherwise be thrown away into useful fuel. When someone says they're “firing up the briquettes,” they mean they're getting ready to grill with briquettes.