Tag Archives: History

An Irresistible History of Alabama Barbecue: From Wood Pit to White Sauce

From Muscle Shoals to Mobile, Alabamians enjoy fabulous barbecue at home, at club meetings and at countless eateries. In the 1820s, however, a group of reformers wanted to eliminate the southern staple because politicians used it to entice voters. As the state and nation changed through wars and the civil rights movement, so did Alabama barbecue. Alabama restaurants like Big Bob Gibson’s, Dreamland and Jim “n Nick’s have earned fans across the country. Mark A. Johnson traces the development of the state’s famous food from the earliest settlement of the state to the rise of barbecue restaurants.

The Grand Barbecue: A Celebration of the History, Places, Personalities and Techniques of Kansas City Barbecue

Increase your Kansas City Barbecue IQ with The Grand Barbecue, the most definitive book yet on Kansas City barbecue. Featuring : How Kansas City became Barbecue Capital of the World? Who were Kansas City’s first barbecue “Kings”? The story of the original “Smoky Joe”. How Ernest Hemingway bought seven Kansas City barbecue sandwiches for one dollar! PLUS! Profiles of many Kansas City’s barbecue masters. Recipes and do-it-yourself techniques. Great barbecue writing and photography from The Kansas City Star. Part history book, part cookbook, part family album, The Grand Barbecue is packed with fun facts and photos.

Barbecue: The History of an American Institution

The history of barbecue in the United States has until now remained virtually untold. Barbecue has a long, rich history—a history that formerly could be found only through scattered references in old letters, journals, newspapers, diaries, and travel narratives until this book was written.

Americans enjoy reading about barbecue almost as much as they love eating it. Books on the subject cover almost every aspect of the topic: recipes, grilling tips, restaurant guides, pit-building instructions, and catalogs of exotic variants such as Mongolian barbecue and Indian tandoor cooking. Despite this coverage, the history of barbecue in the United States has until now remained virtually untold.
 
Barbecue: The History of an American Institution draws on hundreds of sources to document the evolution of barbecue from its origins among Native Americans to its present status as an icon of American culture. This is the story not just of a dish but of a social institution that helped shape the many regional cultures of the United States. The history begins with British colonists’ adoption of barbecuing techniques from Native Americans in the 16th and 17th centuries, moves to barbecue’s establishment as the preeminent form of public celebration in the 19th century, and is carried through to barbecue’s iconic status today.
 
From the very beginning, barbecues were powerful social magnets, drawing together people from a wide range of classes and geographic backgrounds. Barbecue played a key role in three centuries of American history, both reflecting and influencing the direction of an evolving society. By tracing the story of barbecue from its origins to today, Barbecue: The History of an American Institution traces the very thread of American social history.

A History of South Carolina Barbeque (American Palate)

South Carolina has been home to good, old-fashioned barbeque for quite a long time. Hundreds of restaurants, stands and food trucks sell tons of the southern staple every day. But the history of Palmetto State barbeque goes deeper than many might believe–it predates the rest of America. Native Americans barbequed pork on makeshift grills as far back as the 1500s after the Spanish introduced the pig into the Americas. Since the early 1920s, South Carolinians have been perfecting the craft and producing some of the best-tastin’ ‘que in the country. Join author and president of the South Carolina Barbeque Association Lake E. High Jr. as he traces the delectable history from its pre-colonial roots to a thriving modern-day tradition that fuels an endless debate over where to find the best plate.

Smokelore: A Short History of Barbecue in America

Barbecue: It’s America in a mouthful. The story of barbecue touches almost every aspect of our history. It involves indigenous culture, the colonial era, slavery, the Civil War, the settling of the West, the coming of immigrants, the Great Migration, the rise of the automobile, the expansion of suburbia, the rejiggering of gender roles. It encompasses every region and demographic group. It is entwined with our politics and tangled up with our race relations. 

Jim Auchmutey follows the delicious and contentious history of barbecue in America from the ox roast that celebrated the groundbreaking for the US Capitol building to the first barbecue launched into space almost 200 years later. The narrative covers the golden age of political barbecues, the evolution of the barbecue restaurant, the development of backyard cooking, and the recent rediscovery of traditional barbecue craft. Along the way, Auchmutey considers the mystique of barbecue sauces, the spectacle of barbecue contests, the global influences on American barbecue, the roles of race and gender in barbecue culture, and the many ways barbecue has been portrayed in our art and literature. It’s a spicy story that involves noted Americans from George Washington and Abraham Lincoln to Louis Armstrong, Elvis Presley, Martin Luther King Jr., and Barack Obama.