A breakdown of Virginia barbecue.
1788
Richmond residents charter the country’s first barbecue club—Buchanan’s Spring Barbecue Club—founded by future Chief Justice John Marshall.
HJ 169
The resolution, passed by Virginia legislators in 2016, declares barbecue “essential to any public celebration among the descendants of the Ancient Dominion” and designates May through October to be Virginia Barbecue Season.
325
degrees Fahrenheit is the highest temperature in a range of what’s acceptable for traditional, low-and-slow cooked barbecue, which ensures center portions of large cuts of meat are cooked before the outside is scorched.
30
The number of companies making BBQ sauce in Virginia, as listed in the Virginia’s Finest registry.
4
The number of Virginia barbecue regions defined in Virginia Barbecue: A History by Joseph Haynes, all of which use a vinegar-based sauce.
$12,000
in cash and prizes was up for grabs at the 2018 Chesapeake Jubilee Barbecue Cook-Off. Sanctioned by the Kansas City Barbecue Society, the annual event in May serves as the Virginia state championship.
This article originally appeared in our Smoke & Salt 2018 issue, on newsstands now.
