Roots & Culture: The Black History of Barbeque
Summer is winding down, The Aunties and Uncles have worn their white linen, and the barbecues have been had. I ate more barbeque than I ever have this year, I mean a lot. In my defense, I was pregnant for the majority of the summer and was craving all things meat. With each plate, I started wondering more and more about the story behind the good ole’ American barbeque. The smokey rabbit hole I found myself in was deep. I’m here to say that some lies have been spread, and the truth needs to be told about who were the original pitmasters in this country.
Through my new series, Roots & Culture, I plan to uncover the truth and dissect the untold sticky past. There are way too many recipes and cooking techniques, just like barbecue, that have African roots, but those roots have been purposefully dug up and discarded. In doing so I hope to help brothers and sisters in the African Diaspora find richer connections to themselves and develop a deeper pride for our culture. I’m not gonna act like my words will be digestible for everyone, some may find them a bit on the spicy side, but what can I say I like my words like I like my barbeque sauce, with a kick.
Indigenous Beginnings
Before I can talk about the African Diaspora’s influence on barbeque, I have to give respect to the Native Americans and acknowledge how they had their part to play in things.
It was the 1500s and the Spanish were out to “discover” the “ new world.” After long days at sea, their ships finally washed ashore on the Caribbean islands, and let’s just say they “FAFO” the land had already been “discovered.” The Tainos( or Arawaks as they were also known), who were a native tribe from South America, had been thriving on the Caribbean Islands for centuries.
Once the Spanish set foot on the land, they tore it up, let’s just be honest. Between murdering and spreading disease they pretty much wiped the tribe out. Thankfully, some did survive and so did their customs, including a cooking method the Spanish translated as “Barbacoa.” Meats, fish, and vegetables were spread out across these wooden frames and then placed over open fires. This method allowed their food to slowly cook and get infused with the smokiness of the wood beneath it.
One dish that is popular all around the world and was said to have originally used the Barbocoa method is the Jamaican national treasure, Jerk Chicken(or pork). It’s believed that The Tainos or (Arawaks) as they were also known, taught their cooking techniques to a group of rebel Africans called the Maroons. Both groups were trying to escape the British Colonizers and maintain their culture and the hills of Jamaica were the safest place on the island to do so.
In the lush Blue Mountains, there was an abundance of herbs, spices, and even wood that the Maroons used to intentionally craft their recipe. They were determined to not be spotted by the British so they chose to use the pimento wood that grew in the hills for their Barbocoa. Pimento did not produce a lot of smoke and with the Maroons digging pits in the ground to cook their food they were definitely able to stay hidden. The smoky warm pimento also gave the Jerk its distinct taste. To this day when you visit Jamaica and stop at a Jerk Center you can smell the sweet pimento burning and see the barbocoa-inspired frame right on top.
The cultural exchange between Native tribes and African Slaves was a consistent happening even here in The United States. Many tribes were captured and enslaved along with the African peoples so they were in each other’s midst learning and teaching their cultural practices to one another on the regular.
It is here that I can begin to speak on the African Diaspora’s involvement and creation of our beloved American barbeque.
The Original Pitmasters
On most Southern Plantations, the enslaved peoples usually had a set schedule for their work. Toiling all during the week and having a break on the weekends. The Plantation owner usually allowed his slaves to commune on their days off so it was during their times of rest that barbeques began to become a tradition. These barbecues became gatherings for celebration and liberation. Can you imagine all of the slave rebellions that were planned and discussed over a plate of smoky ribs?
U.S. slaves took to digging pits just like the Maroons in Jamaica. It seems this method was preferred not so much because they needed to keep capturers from finding them but because they needed to cook large animals for big groups of people and the pit was ideal. Let’s take a look at how these pits were actually crafted.
Typically, a trench was dug into the ground layered with rocks, and then a fire was started using some sort of hardwood. Once the wood was reduced to hot coals, the meat which was usually pork(due to its affordability and availability), was placed on metal or wooden grates over the pit.
Usually, the person manning the pit was someone with a lot of cooking experience and someone with enough strength to manage the large animals being prepared. In most cases, it was a man, but there are accounts of women also managing the flames. In Adrian Miller’s “Black Smoke: African Americans and the United States of Barbecue.” He shares many stories of African Americans who contributed to barbecue like Marie Jean. In charge of an Independence Day Barbeque in Arkansas in 1840, Marie was paving the way for women during that time and for generations to come. Miller explains how she was not only able to buy her freedom but ran a restaurant as well. For those times, she was breaking barriers down I doubt she even realized.
The Fourth of July barbecue, like the one Marie managed, became a big Southern tradition for Plantations across the South. These were mostly social events but a barbeque also began to be “The” event to have during voting seasons to spotlight the candidates running for local and national office. At most of these gatherings, the slave owner would choose an elder and experienced slave man to be the pitmaster. What ended up happening often times though was that the white man running the event was praised for the Barbeque, even though his hands never touched the pit once.
Some slave owners would use these events to disgustingly show just how “good” they were to their slaves. This was especially popular during the abolitionist movement, as slave owners wanted it to be known that their slaves were well-kept and cared for. Their thought was if they held a barbecue and people saw how good their “darkies” were fed, they would get high praise from the community. It’s the ignorance and obliviousness for me.
Keep On Keeping On
After emancipation, once freed, the previously enslaved men and women went on to find their places within a society that was not in any way embracing them. They had to go and make a living for themselves, but there were not many jobs available for them to actually get. A lot of the pitmasters who had labored for decades without pay or respect, who couldn’t find work, went on to open their own barbeque stands.
Places like Lannie’s Bar-B-Q in Selma Alabama and Alek’s Barbeque Heaven in Atlanta, (which Dr. King frequented), became anchors within their communities. Civil Rights activists who were exhausted and weary could go to these establishments and receive nourishment physically and mentally. There was no having to go to the back of the restaurant to pick up their food, they could go inside and find rest.
Throughout the years, as African Americans began to leave the South like during the Great Migration, they took their barbeque recipes and heritage with them. From Memphis to Detroit, Barbeque joints were popping up everywhere, and what began to happen was that each region started to have its own distinct flair. If you went to St. Louis you were going to find that ribs with a tangy tomato sauce were King. Whereas Kansas City was firing up all the meats from brisket to chicken and slathering on their thick sweet sauces. No matter what state you went to though, you were bound to find a plate of Barbeque that was made with a whole lot of love.
Grand Champions
Today, The competitive spirit between Barbeque connoisseurs across the nation is strong. There are competitions every year crowning the top pitmasters and restaurants. Competitions like the “World’s Championship Bar-B-Que Contest”, here in Houston, Texas, have become world-renowned events. From all over the country and abroad, people attend to taste what is collectively decided as the best of the best.
What has been missing from some of these events, not surprisingly, is the African-American pitmaster’s presence. The majority of these competitions had high admission fees and other barriers to enter. For far too long, the door was closed for those whose ancestors truly made an impact on the world of barbecue. I feel like if I were a judge, it would be hard to award someone with such a prestigious title as Grand Champion, who hasn’t tasted and transmuted struggle like my people have. Thankfully, as people become more aware of the need for representation, there are more events popping up around the country highlighting and prioritizing the culinary achievements of the African Diaspora.
The white communities’ relationship to Barbeque is just historically and evidently different which I feel transfers into their food. I will say this frankly, a lot of the barbeque I have tasted from white establishments has not only lacked flavor but I can never taste the “pain.” The pain of being treated worse than a mule, the pain of being ripped from your homeland and all you know, the pain of being purposefully separated from your family, and especially the pain of being hated for just existing.
From the depths of pain, African Americans created and contributed so much to this nation. Barbeque at its core is rooted in the determination to survive. From the Tainos to the Maroons, to pitmasters on the sugar plantations, they perfected their craft so they could keep their communities thriving and ultimately free. They are the true Grand Champions in my book.
