The Evolution of American Barbecue

The particularly American form of cooking we call the barbecue has a long history -in fact, it was well established long before Europeans arrived. Since the early explorers passed the technique around to colonists, different styles sprang up, now loosely categorized as Carolina, Texas, Memphis, and Kansas City. The differences can be traced to what was available and what flavors one's ancestors liked. For example, Southerners often insist that real barbecue is made of pork. It's tradition.

Unlike cows, which required large amounts of feed and enclosed spaces, pigs could be set loose in forests to eat when food supplies were running low. The pigs, left to fend for themselves in the wild, were much leaner upon slaughter, leading Southerns to use the slow-and-low nature of barbecue to tenderize the meat. And use it they did. During the pre-Civil War years, Southerners ate an average of five pounds of pork for every one pound of cattle. Their dependence on this cheap food supply eventually became a point of patriotism, and Southerners took greater care raising their pigs, refusing to export their meat to the northern states. By this time, however, the relationship between the barbecue and pork had been deeply forged.

But Texas is a different story. And barbecue sauce reflects the traditions that immigrants brought from the Old World. Read how these factors came together at Smithsonian's Food and Think blog. Link

(Image credit: Flickr user ATOMIC Hot Links)


Comments (2)

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It seems just as likely to me that some entries on this list should instead be on "ten most bloodthirsty soldiers of all time"; or maybe "ten soldiers driven most obviously insane by the horrors of war".

Reader's choice. We are unlikely to actually know, after all.
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Wow. This is neat.
Can the next list be 'Who took the longest to die.' or some such.

Sometimes I just couldn't be bothered to sign in for these.
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Now, being ambushed and driving your Humvee directly at the enemy's entrenched position, after which you leap into the trench, shoot terrorists until you run out of bullets for your Marine-issue guns, then take two AK-47s and kill some more terrorists, and then you find a rocket-propelled grenade and blow the hell out of even more terrorists?

Yeah, the Iraqi invaders sure proved themselves to be total terrorists when they fought the brave US soldiers that were defending their homeland.
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No we humans defintely are not violent. We are peaceful beings.

This is best illustrated by our glorification of our fiercest bloodiest fighters.....

Wheeeee real Neat these killers!
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Hey Jill, tell my dad who fought in WWII that it's ancient history. These stories depict men who did what needed to be done at the time. Whether the conflict was right or wrong these soldiers were in a kill or be killed situation and they stepped up to save the lives of their fellow soldiers. War isn't pretty or neat but once the conflict is happening a soldier better do everything in their power to inflict casualties on the enemy because that is definitely what the enemy is trying to do.
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@D Bozko

Probably the first time I actually agree with you. They were defiantly strict times for everyone not in control of the situation. My grandfather on my mother's side fought for the side of Hungary, because if he didn't, he was shot and killed as a traitor. A more interesting story with my dad's side is his father trained as a pilot for Germany in WWI, and fought against Germany for Canada as a pilot in WWII.
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