Southern barbecue spread throughout the United States during the Great Migration, which saw African Americans leaving the oppression of the South for opportunities in other regions of the country in the early- to mid-1900s. Most barbecue at that time was prepared by cooking the entire animal; as the cuisine popped up in urban centers throughout the United States, smaller cuts of meat took center stage. For more, see Adrian Miller’s Black Smoke: African Americans and the United States of Barbecue.

Learn more about the politics of Southern Barbecue from The Politics of Cuisine on Instagram.

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