If not, the World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest in Memphis, Tennessee, is not paradise, but it certainly is tasty. Part of the yearly Memphis in May International Festival, the Cooking Contest draws over 97,000 visitors to taste some of the most delicious barbecue in the world. Most of the pork presenters are from Tennessee, and many come from Mississippi, Arkansas, Georgia, Alabama, Illinois and Texas.
Barbecue is mostly a Southern art.
And though there are plenty of barbecue contests that call themselves world championships, Memphis' Contest is Guinness certified as the world's largest barbecue cooking contest. In each of the three categories, one winner is chosen and, of those, one is named overall winner, the World Champion of pork. Competition to be top hog is serious, and teams treasure special cooking techniques. On Friday, May 18th, teams stay up all night, cooking the pig from 18 to 28 hours. Of course, the quality of the cooked pork is important, but presentation plays a part in judging as well.