Ask ten different people what defines barbecue, and you’ll get ten different answers. It’s a definition that’s long been argued by many different people with many different taste preferences, but there are a few facts behind the method. The term “barbecue” originates from barbacoa, a reference to the term barbabicu from Caribbean natives. The Caribbean way of barbecue involved smoking meat above a fire. American Indians used a similar method to preserve meat, but also to cook it for immediate consumption.
As white settlers began to invade what would become the United States, this method of cooking meat high over a fire caught on. Settlers also discovered another Native American method of slow cooking food by burying it in a pit lined with stone and filled with burning wood. From here, American barbecue developed into the slow-cooking method used today.
Today, barbecue encompasses a wide variety of cooking methods, but at its core, the term refers to a slow-cooking method over low heat. Each region of the United States has its own twist on barbecue, but the technique more or less remains the same. In the South, meat is typically cooked in a pit. Midwest regions stick to their German roots. BBQ restaurants in the Madison, WI area tend to have sweeter sauces and an inclination to smoke the meat. They also feature German bratwurst and other traditional meats. BBQ restaurants in Madison, WI, also use beer in their cooking, giving the meat a particular flavor. South Carolina barbecues use mustard in their sauces.
Wherever you encounter barbecue in the United States, you’re sure to find a unique spin on the traditional barbacoa method of smoking meats over a low heat source. Food and the activities surrounding it are a huge part of American culture, tying us back to our ancestors and their methods of cooking.
