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South Carolina is home to several distinct styles of barbecue characterized by different cuts of meat, types of barbecue sauce and preparation. [1] [2] It is particularly well known for the heavy emphasis on pork and the popularity of a mustard-based barbecue sauce in the central part of the state.
Barbecue has its origins in the barbacoa style of cooking roasted meats that was enjoyed by indigenous peoples and Spanish colonists in the Caribbean, who settled the Carolinas. [3] [4] The earliest references to "barbeque" gatherings in South Carolina describe upperclass gatherings held by plantation owners, which featured roasted meats and drinking. Barbecue vendors and restaurants became common in South Carolina around the 1920s, often offering delivery to homes and events. [5]
It is considered to be a part of Lowcountry cuisine. [6] [7] South Carolina barbecue has changed in the early 21st century, as the mustard sauce developed in the central Midlands of South Carolina has become more popular throughout the state. Beef has also become more common than in the past. [8] [9]
South Carolina is typically described as having four or five primary regions of barbecue typified by different sauces. [10] [2] This division of the state's barbecue regions was first coined by Charles F. Kovacik and John J. Winberry in their book South Carolina: A Geography (1987). [1] This is sometimes simplified into three regions based on mustard, vinegar or tomato. [11] Food historian Robert F. Moss has claimed that South Carolina really has only two regional barbecue sauces, sweet mustard and spicy vinegar. [12]
Barbecue in South Carolina is typically prepared by smoking meat over hickory or oak. [13] Barbecue in South Carolina heavily features pork rather than beef. [14] Whole hog barbecue, where an entire pig is cooked over hardwood coals, is particularly common in the Pee Dee region of South Carolina. [6] [12] The pig is sometimes skinned prior to cooking and the skin is fried. [15] Smoked pork shoulder is another distinctive style of barbecue associated with the state, [16] as is pork butt and ham. [17]
Mustard-based barbecue sauce [18] is common in the central part of South Carolina, [19] and is style of barbecue is most strongly associated with South Carolina. [20] [21] It is sometimes called "Carolina Gold". [22] [13] It may have originated in the French and German immigrant community that arrived in South Carolina in the 18th century. [19] [23] It has been linked to the "Mustard Belt" between Orangeburg County and Newberry County, where large numbers of German immigrants settled. [16] Mustard was also thought to repel mosquitoes in colonial times, preventing malaria. [24]
Families such as the Dukes (of Dukes Bar-B-Que) and Bessingers opened up restaurant chains in Orangeburg during the mid 20th century, establishing that style of barbecue in the region. [25] Some accounts have attributed the invention of mustard sauce to Joe Bessinger, father of white supremacist and segregationist Maurice Bessinger. [26] Maurice Bessinger played a major role in popularizing mustard sauce, [27] and sold bottled mustard-based sauce in national supermarkets during the 1990s. He had the largest barbecue business in the United States by 1999, [28] until his insistence on using the Confederate flag on packaging and distributing racist literature in his restaurants caused his sales to decline. [26]
In some parts of Orangeburg, a "rust sauce" that includes both ketchup and mustard is served. [12]
A barbecue sauce made of vinegar, salt and pepper is frequently served in the Pee Dee region, and is heavily based upon Native American sauces used to baste meats. [27] [3] This style of sauce is virtually identical to the vinegar sauce used in Eastern North Carolina barbecue. [29]
Light tomato barbecue sauce, which is a thin vinegar and ketchup-based sauce, is common in Upstate South Carolina, due to the influence of North Carolina barbecue. [27] It is believed to have originated due to the affordability of mass produced ketchup in the early 20th century. It often includes cayenne pepper or hot sauce. [10]
Heavy tomato sauce, more similar to sauces popular in other states, is common in Western South Carolina. It often includes molasses and brown sugar, making it sweeter than other types of South Carolina barbecue. [10]
South Carolina is known for "hash", a pork, offal and onion-based stew or gravy. [30] [31] In the upstate region of South Carolina, hash instead refers to a pork and beef stew. [16]
The cuisine of the Southern United States encompasses diverse food traditions of several subregions, including Tidewater, Appalachian, Ozarks, Lowcountry, Cajun, Creole, and Floribbean cuisine. In recent history, elements of Southern cuisine have spread to other parts of the United States, influencing other types of American cuisine.
Barbecue or barbeque is a term used with significant regional and national variations to describe various cooking methods that employ live fire and smoke to cook the food. The term is also generally applied to the devices associated with those methods, the broader cuisines that these methods produce, and the meals or gatherings at which this style of food is cooked and served. The cooking methods associated with barbecuing vary significantly but most involve outdoor cooking.
Hash is a dish consisting of chopped meat, potatoes, and fried onions. The name is derived from French: hacher, meaning 'to chop'. It originated as a way to use up leftovers. In the U.S. by the 1860s, a cheap restaurant was called a "hash house" or "hashery."
Sweet and sour is a generic term that encompasses many styles of sauce, cuisine, and cooking methods. It is commonly used in East Asia and Southeast Asia and has been used in England since the Middle Ages. Sweet and sour sauce remains popular in Asian and Western cuisines.
Smoked meat is the result of a method of preparing red meat, white meat, and seafood which originated in the Paleolithic Era. Smoking adds flavor, improves the appearance of meat through the Maillard reaction, and when combined with curing it preserves the meat. When meat is cured then cold-smoked, the smoke adds phenols and other chemicals that have an antimicrobial effect on the meat. Hot smoking has less impact on preservation and is primarily used for taste and to slow-cook the meat. Interest in barbecue and smoking is on the rise worldwide.
A pig pickin' is a type of party or gathering held primarily in the American South which involves the barbecuing of a whole hog. Females, or gilts, are used as well. Boars and sows generally are too large.
St. Louis–style barbecue refers to spare ribs associated with the St. Louis area. These are usually grilled rather than slow-cooked over indirect heat with smoke which is typically associated with the term "barbecue" in the United States. Often overshadowed by its more famous cousin, Kansas City–style barbecue, St. Louis–style barbecue struggles to distinguish itself from other city based styles of barbecue. Although St. Louis–style barbecue takes inspiration from other styles of barbecue it still retains its own distinct style.
Barbecue varies by the type of meat, sauce, rub, or other flavorings used, the point in barbecuing at which they are added, the role smoke plays, the equipment and fuel used, cooking temperature, and cooking time.
Barbecue sauce is a sauce used as a marinade, basting, condiment, or topping for meat cooked in the barbecue cooking style, including pork or beef ribs and chicken. It is a ubiquitous condiment in the Southern United States and is used on many other foods as well.
Barbecue is a tradition often considered a quintessential part of American culture, especially the Southern United States.
The North Carolina Barbecue Society (NCBS) is a non-profit organization created to promote North Carolina culture and food. They are based in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States, One of the goals of the organization is to promote barbecue related cultural events such as the Tar Heel Barbecue Classic and the Lexington Barbecue Festival, as well as promote the barbecue culture of North Carolina.
Inihaw, also known as sinugba or inasal, are various types of grilled or pit-roasted barbecue dishes from the Philippines. They are usually made from pork or chicken and are served on bamboo skewers or in small cubes with a soy sauce and vinegar-based dip. The term can also refer to any meat or seafood dish cooked and served in a similar way. Inihaw are commonly sold as street food and are eaten with white rice or rice cooked in coconut leaves (pusô). Inihaw is also commonly referred to as Filipino barbecue or (informally) Pinoy BBQ.
Barbecue is an important part of the heritage and history of the U.S. state of North Carolina. It has resulted in a series of bills and laws that relate to the subject, and at times has been a politically charged subject. In part, this is due to the existence of two distinct types of barbecue that have developed over the last few hundred years: Lexington style and Eastern style. Both are pork-based barbecues but differ in the cuts of pork used and the sauces they are served with. In addition to the two native varieties, other styles of barbecue can be found throughout the state.
A barbecue sandwich is a sandwich that is typically prepared with barbecued meats. Several types of meats are used to prepare barbecue sandwiches. Some varieties use cooked meats that are not barbecued, but include barbecue sauce. Many variations, including regional variations, exist, along with diverse types of cooking styles, preparations and ingredients.
Lloyd Maurice Bessinger Sr. was an American BBQ restaurateur and politician noted for his defense of racial segregation.
Dukes Bar-B-Que is the name of numerous unrelated barbecue restaurants in South Carolina, all founded by descendants of Manuel Dukes.
Hash is a name for a stew or gravy made of pork, offal and onions. It is usually paired with rice as "hash and rice". Hash is part of the cuisine of the Southern United States where it was invented as a way to use unappetizing cuts of meat. The dish is primarily consumed within the state of South Carolina, where it is commonly paired with barbecue. Many variations of hash exist, which include different combinations of meats and vegetables.
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