Barbecue

Modern American barbecue stems directly from barbacoa, the tradition of smoke-cooking meat which Caribbean natives were doing long before the colonists arrived. Today, the centuries-old technique of smoking whole hogs over a pit is now common in both Virginia and North Carolina. Barbecue was originally found mostly in rural areas, but in recent years it has moved to bigger cities, and how could it not with the aromatic and fragrant appeal of tender, juicy meats, elevating the mouth-watering bites to cult status. Varieties of barbecue are greatly linked to geography with styles varying wildly from North to South and East to West. In Eastern North Carolina, the hog is slowly cooked over coals and doused for hours in a spicy sauce of red pepper flakes and vinegar while being chopped or 'pulled' throughout the process. Pulled pork meat is then stuffed into tender white buns and topped with fresh, mayonnaise-flavored coleslaw. In Western North Carolina, Lexington-style barbecue is king with slowly cooked pork shoulders heavily seasoned with pepper, vinegar, and ketchup sauce. Texas barbecue replaces pork with tender beef briskets cooked in pits, while Kentuckians like to slowly cook mutton in Worcesteshire sauce. Louisiana barbecue differs from all the rest, as the pulled meat served in a soft bun with slaw comes from a suckling pig. Similarly, in South Carolina, pulled pork is drizzled with a mustard and vinegar sauce, while in Kansas the barbecue pork is served on bread with a sauce based on tomatoes and molasses. Traveling to Memphis, one can find barbecued pork ribs with a flavorful, spicy crust achieved by a special dry-rub seasoning. More than just a cooking technique, barbecue is a subculture of its own with rivalry between neighboring states and contests for titles at numerous competitions throughout the South.