Is Black barbecue better than what whites prepare?
A new book by a respected Black food writer raises that question and names two North Carolina Black-owned barbecue joints as his favorites.
âBlack Smoke: African Americans and the United States of Barbecueâ by Adrian Miller suggests that the story of the American tradition of barbecue cannot be told without attention to great numbers of Black pit masters.
He writes that âa general consensus emerged in the late 19th century that African American barbecuers made the best and most authentic barbecue.â
Even racist whites, he says, loved Black-made barbecue. âDuring the reign of Black barbecuers, barbecue was largely represented in the media as hardy, messy, working-class food that was the delicious result of extensive, exhaustive, and specialized menial labor. And though what these Black barbecuers did often absolutely fit the definition of culinary craft, it was rarely typically presented that way to the lar
Is Black barbecue better than what white people prepare? A new book by a respected Black food writer raises that question and names two North Carolina Black-owned barbecue joints as his favorites. “Black Smoke: African Americans and the United States of Barbecue,” by Adrian Miller, suggests that the story of the American tradition of barbecue cannot […]