Chow Down On Serious North Carolina BBQ

There are other delectable delicacies in North Carolina, but barbecue is nothing less than a highly revered art form. Entire books have been devoted to the complex topic and theories about barbecue techniques and recipes in the state are as varied as its enthusiasts. It is an understatement to say people take it seriously.

But most barbecue fans can at least agree that the state’s barbecued meat of choice is pork, and the state is roughly divided into two distinct barbecue cultures. In western North Carolina, you'll find mostly pork shoulder, or Boston butts, whereas in the east it is all about the whole-hog cookery.

Further, Eastern Carolina barbecue tends to feature vinegar-based sauce, whereas in the west it is tomato-based.

But it would be ridiculous here to argue sauces. Let’s just list a few of the good places to go to sample this North Carolina delicacy: Herb’s Pit BBQ in Murphy; Little Pig’s and Barbecue Inn in Ashville; Lexington Barbecue in Lexington, a city so bold it boasts being the state’s “Barbecue Capital” and is host to the Barbecue Festival in October; Stamey’s in Greensboro; Allen & Son in Chapel Hill; Wilber’s Barbecue in Goldsboro; Parker’s, Bill Ellis Barbecue and Mitchell’s Barbecue, all three in Wilson; and Hill’s Lexington Bar-B-Q in Winston-Salem.

If all that is a bit dizzying, consider consulting the North Carolina Barbecue Society Historic Trail -- and then eat your way across the state.

There's one more signature dish in North Carolina: Calabash, which takes its name from a little fishing town on the Atlantic near the South Carolina border. Typically that style involves corn-meal batter-fried seafood -- scallops, crabs, clams, oysters and shrimp -- although you’ll find fresh or raw foods labeled "Calabash," too.

Here a few festivals where you can sample the state’s staples: North Carolina Seafood Festival, held in October on the Moorehead City waterfront; the Blue Crab Festival in May in Little River; the North Carolina Turkey Festival in September in Raeford (the state is a major turkey producer); the North Carolina Pickle Festival in April in Mt. Olive; the North Carolina Strawberry Festival in April in Chadbourn (one of several strawberry fests); and the North Carolina Yam Festival in October in Tabor City.