The art of barbecuing goes back to even before the colonial ages. Now, the Best BBQ in San Fernando Valley is still

widely popular. Some say that the word barbecue originated from the Native American word “barbacoa” which is

the framework of wood on which different assortments of food were cooked over hot coals. Some even attribute

the origin of the word barbecue to the French, offering the explanation that when the Caribbean pirates arrived on

our Southern shores, they cooked animals on a device that ran from “whiskers to tail” or (in French) “de barbe a

queue.”

Since then, barbecuing has come a long way. Ever since Thomas Jefferson’s presidency, barbecuing has been a

White House tradition. The thirty –sixth president of the United States and avid barbecue fanatic, Lyndon B.

Johnson, hosted the first ever Texas-style barbecued ribs barbecue at the White House.

In contemporary society, the most popular barbecuing days are as follows:

July 4th

(71 percent)

Memorial Day (57 percent)

Labor Day (55 percent)

May 16th

(National Barbecue Day)

To this day, barbecuing is one of the most popular hobbies in the country with hundreds of cook-offs held

nationwide throughout all fifty states.

Now, there are four main types of barbecue:

Kansas City Style – Arguably the most popular barbecue style and the most prominent sauce on local

grocery store shelves. Kansas City barbecue is normally a thick, tomato-based sauce containing a lot of

sugar. Kansas style barbecue usually applies to pork, pork ribs, and chicken.

Memphis Style – Similar to Kansas City style, but uses less sugar. On average, Memphis style tends also to

be spicier than Kansas City style. Memphis style barbecue usually focuses on pork ribs. Also, the sauce

isn’t slathered on the meat like Kansas City style, which makes it less messy. If the sauce is used, it is

served on the side for dipping. The sauce itself is normally runnier, thinner, tangier, and less sweet (uses

less sugar).

Texas Style – Texas style barbecue focuses on beef. It is usually applied to chicken or pork ribs here and

there, but normally it is applied to beef. It is cooked with a dry mustard and chili powder-based rub and

sauces tend to be thin and bold. The sauce is usually heavy with flavor from various kinds of ground chilis,

cumin, hot sauce, onion, meat dripping, and even beer or coffee.

Carolina Style – Carolina style focuses mainly on pork. Carolina style is sauce based. In general, the sauce

is thin, watery, tangy, and peppery. The color of the sauce can range from golden yellow to clear. Like all

the others above, there are many variations of the theme.

Hope you enjoyed the rundown of the Best BBQ in San Fernando Valley and go ahead and try it sometime

soon to see which style you like most!