This post is the final installment on what I learned about barbecue in the North Carolina mountains. I was watching a documentary on barbecue while chilling out in the cabin when I learned of the history of Kansas City barbecue. First, during the Great Migration, African Americans from the South moved to the city in large numbers and brought barbecue with them. Second, cowboys driving cattle from Texas to Kansas City would bring their Texas barbecue traditions to the Midwest. They were not shy about smoking and eating brisket while on the road. The people of Kansas City took note of the strange food the cowboys and African Americans were eating and a Tennessee native, Henry Perry, opened the first barbecue restaurant in Kansas City in the 1920s. He would smoke meat over an open pit and serve it wrapped in newspaper. Other men learned how to barbecue from Henry and soon restaurants opened throughout the city.
Today, there are over 100 barbecue restaurants in Kansas City. I would argue that the city has the most respected barbecue tradition outside of Memphis (the state of Missouri as a whole, not so much). If you are visiting Kansas City, I would encourage you to avoid a Kansas City Royals baseball game. That team usually stinks! Instead, visit a barbecue restaurant. Give strong consideration to dining at Arthur Bryant's. It has been in business since the 1920s and has a worldwide following. For more information about Kansas City barbecue, visit http://www.visitkc.com/mediaroom/news_release_detail.aspx?NewsID=36
No comments:
Post a Comment