Barbecues are arguably a popular way to celebrate graduations from coast to coast. The word barbecue IS America and vice versa, but it actually thought to have originated in the southern United States and owes much of its popularity to the varieties that have evolved across the region. Its origin dates back to the times of the Civil War and even before, making the history of the American barbecue almost the history of America itself.

Today there is no single taste prevalent across the region. The flavors, ingredients used, and sometimes even the method of cooking varies from state to state and even town to town. It may be convenient to break the region up into the South, the East Coast and Central South for a brief comparison as follows:

In the deep South, the meat is not at all what the original barbecue used to be made from, as they frequently use mutton and beef slow cooked. They have a wide range of BBQ sauces that can vary between a sweet tomato sauce or a fiery red-hot one and anything in between.

The East Coast however holds to its original style using pork and vinegar sauces to accompany it. The side dishes that are common favorites along the coast include coleslaw or "slaw" and hushpuppies - a deep-fried cornmeal pastry. The vinegar sauces do see variations such as vinegar sauces rich in tomato, or yellow mustard based sauces, with side dishes like bread and stew or hash with rice.

In the Central South, the meat remains primarily pork and its ribs, but the way it is cut differs, as it is more often pulled rather than chopped. The meat is slow cooked, shredded by hand and covered with ample amounts of sauce. The ribs are greased with sauce or covered with a mix of spices before pit cooking. The sauces here are typically a sweet tomato based sauce with a hint of pepper and molasses. It is usually served with coleslaw, French fries, baked beans and cornbread. Further, to the west beef gets more favor to pork.

The authentic origins of the true American barbecue is buried in tales that have evolved over time, and today you will find a wider variety to enjoy than ever, so break out the grill and get ready for some of the American Favorite - The BBQ!