“I maintain that true Carolina barbecue is unfranchisable,” said Dan Huntley, owner of a Charlotte area barbecue food truck, in response to the contest that starts today.  The contest is for the best trio of regional Carolina barbecue sauces: vinegar (Eastern North Carolina), tomato-based (Western and Piedmont) and mustard-based (South Carolina), as well as the title of official barbecue sauce of the Democratic National Convention.

It’s being put together by the local committee responsible for raising money for the national convention to be held in Charlotte on September 3rd.  The winner will receive a contract in an amount to be disclosed later.  The sauces will be sold as a gift package on the convention website.  According to Jackie Bateman, grassroots finance director for the convention, “We just want to be as creative as possible, and we want to showcase the Carolinas.”

photo by Steve Jurvetson

There are four barbecue hot spots in this country: Texas, Kansas City, Memphis, and the Carolinas.  The different styles of barbecue in each of these regions are as unique as they are delicious.  But you don’t have to reside in one of these locations to be a part of a great barbecue scene. You can be a part of creating your region’s own style.

All it takes is a group of “enthusiastic eaters and cooks,” according to Hanna Raskin, who recently spent her weekend at the judges’ table at the Winter Burn-Off in Snohomish, Washington.  ”I’m inclined to think the state of regional barbecue is growing stronger.”  The more regions of this country that put their own spin on low-and-slow cooking instead of simply copying the “big boys,” the better it is for barbecuers.

photo by Southern Foodways Alliance