People from every stratum would flock to these gatherings, as they still do today. Food is often the catalyst for uniting diverse groups of people. The barbecue process is tedious and time-consuming. Generally speaking, barbecuing requires an enclosed metal cooker, commonly known as the pit. However, even the electric pits need the addition of various soaked wood chips to create the smoke flavour that is essential for proper barbecue.
Barbecue is serious business.
Local residents are not only enthusiastic about the quantities of barbecue they consume but also fiercely opinionated as to the best barbecue in the universe. For some, like writer and humorist Calvin Trillon, the barbecue capital of the world happens to be Kansas City, Missouri. For others, nothing but Memphis, Tennessee barbecue will do. North Carolina and several other southern states also have a distinctive barbecue style, as do Texas and a tiny pocket of barbecuers in Owensboro, Kentucky. Beef defines the Kansas City and Texas styles of barbecue.