The history of BBQ starts with the origin of the word. Whether you call it BBQ, barbecue, or barbeque, it all came from the same place. Many etymologists believe that the history of BBQ starts with the Caribbean word barabicu. This word roughly translates in English to sacred fire pit. The modern definition of BBQ is either the type of meal that is being served, or the grill on which it is cooked.
Origins
The history of BBQ seems to begin in the area of the Caribbean. This is where the origin of the word began, and then it was carried over to Spanish. Once in the Spanish language, it spread throughout Europe finding a place in the French and English language.
A myth about the history of BBQ comes from a story that is told about old roadhouses. These roadhouses used to advertise “Bar, Beer, and Cues” to refer to pool. It might be true that the roadhouses advertised in this way, but there is no evidence that this is how the food got its name.
The Real History
Cooking meat the way that constitutes BBQ had been going on since the dawn of time. Since people began eating animals like pigs, cows, and chickens, people have been roasting, baking, and grilling them over open fire. The history of BBQ goes back long before gas grills were invented.
The food style, however, received its origins later on, around the seventeenth century. This type of cooking was believed to have originated in North Carolina. BBQ became a staple of a soldier’s diet during the Civil War era. Whole towns would get together to BBQ a pig or two to share with the soldiers and townsfolk. This is where the tradition of southern BBQ was born.
The Sauce
No one is quite sure where the origins of BBQ sauce came from. The history of BBQ is less than telling on this aspect of the BBQ cooking style. It might have come from the curing process before the invention of refrigeration. Most curing processes used vinegar, but in the area of South Carolina, people would also add mustard and other spices in order to better flavor the meat.
No matter what kind of BBQ you enjoy, it is always fun and interesting to know where your style of cooking has come from. Whether you are southern, northern, eastern, or western, BBQ is one food that anyone in America can appreciate and enjoy.
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