Can You Guess Which State These Iconic Barbecue Dishes Are From?

By: Ian Fortey
Estimated Completion Time
4 min
Can You Guess Which State These Iconic Barbecue Dishes Are From?
Image: Lauri Patterson / E+ / Getty Images

About This Quiz

Barbecue in America is older than America itself with written accounts of it going all the way back to the 1600s. Even President George Washington spoke of attending a barbecue in Virginia back in 1769 so the tradition, especially in the South, is a long and proud one. They've had plenty of time to develop and perfect different recipes and different styles. So while for people who have don't have a big interest in it, barbecue may just seem like putting a steak on a grill and getting some char on it, for those in the know the world of barbecue is serious business.

Just like any kind of cuisine, regional differences in barbecue can be dramatic, from the kind of meat that's available to the kind of spices people like to use and of course the sauce. Every region has its own iconic dishes that you can probably get anywhere, but you'll never find them as good as in the place where it originated. If you love BBQ why not try your hand at this quiz and see if you can match some of America's iconic BBQ cuisine to the state that made it famous!

Question 24
Ron Chapple / Photodisc / Getty Images
A traditional dish from this state involves cooking a whole pig underground. Where is it?
Arizona
New Mexico
Hawaii
Louisiana
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

One of the most iconic dishes of Hawaiian cuisine is the Kalua pig, which is cooked over hot coals buried underground in what would qualify as one of the most simple but effective barbecue ovens ever made.

Advertisement

Question 15
The Hungry House-Husband Show via YouTube
Ever heard of Delta-style tamales? Where can you get them?
Illinois
Kentucky
Georgia
Mississippi
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Sometimes BBQ is only as good as its side dishes and a Mississippi Delta-style tamale is one of the best. Different than a Mexican tamale, these are made with cornmeal, they're boiled, and they're very spicy if they're made right.

Advertisement

Question 9
DHuss / E+ / Getty Images
Do you know which state has made BBQ brisket into an art form?
Georgia
Texas
North Carolina
Nebraska
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Beef is king in Texas BBQ and the beef brisket is probably the most iconic dish in all of Texas BBQ. Dry-rubbed and then smoked for hours according to an individual pitmaster's recipe, this dish rarely makes it to states where pork is the prime meat, but some other states have tried to master it.

Advertisement

Question 20
K- Ray via YouTube
Which state is making you a perfect chopped brisket sandwich?
Missouri
Texas
Wyoming
Alabama
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Texas perfected brisket so there's no way they didn't make the best brisket sandwich as well. You can get these made without sauce or just drowned in whatever kind of sauce you prefer.

Advertisement

Question 32
Ed's Kitchen Simple via YouTube
What state is known for an apple cider vinegar sauce?
Virginia
Wyoming
Arizona
Louisiana
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Virginia barbecue has been very much overshadowed by the stuff coming from other states, but it's believed that the tradition may have actually taken root in Virginia. President George Washington was apparently a fan.

Advertisement

Question 35
steele2123 / E+ / Getty Images
Big, meaty beef ribs are from what state?
Missouri
Tennessee
Kentucky
Texas
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Nearly all barbecue ribs out in the world are pork ribs but in Texas, they go all-out with beef ribs. They're bigger and meatier than the pork ribs and they shouldn't be made with a rub or a sauce.

Advertisement

Question 23
Santa Maria Valley via YouTube
Where would you go for Santa Maria-style BBQ?
California
New Mexico
Nevada
Texas
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

California's cuisine is very eclectic but they do have some of their own BBQ, including Santa Maria-style. Proper Santa Maria-style involved grilling beef tri-tip over red oak with spices like pepper, garlic, and salt.

Advertisement

Question 13
THEREALSHOWBBQ via YouTube
What state is making you a whole hog complete with skin?
North Carolina
Tennessee
Texas
Kentucky
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Whole hog barbecue is a tradition in the Carolinas but North Carolina specifically will do the whole hog, skin and all, in a whole hog tray for you. That means a mix of lighter meat, darker meat, and the crispy skin to give you a lot of texture.

Advertisement

Question 18
HowToBBQRight via YouTube
If you want to experience a BBQ steak, what state is famous for them?
Oklahoma
Nebraska
Iowa
Wyoming
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Oklahoma doesn't have a huge BBQ scene compared to some of the other states but they sure know steak. Oklahoma City is famous for its steakhouses — not to mention cowboys and stockyards — and grills up some of the best steaks anywhere.

Advertisement

Question 31
THEREALSHOWBBQ via YouTube
Where would you find some Lexington-style sauce?
Georgia
Texas
Alabama
North Carolina
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

North Carolina barbecue is known for Lexington-syle barbecue, from the town of Lexington, which is very much defined by its sauce. It's a tomato and vinegar-based sauce that includes spices and brown sugar.

Advertisement

Question 8
NOURISH via YouTube
Every region seems to have its own BBQ sauce. Where do they make that tangy, yellow mustard sauce?
Tennessee
Florida
South Carolina
North Carolina
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

South Carolina went its own way with sauce, ignoring the tomato base that so many other states use, and opting instead for a yellow mustard-based sauce that's a little tangy and a little sweet thanks to the vinegar, sugar, and assorted spices that get tossed in as well.

Advertisement

Question 12
pastorscott / E+ / Getty Images
A brown gravy sauce is a unique and delicious item from what state?
Texas
Missouri
North Carolina
Alabama
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The brown gravy sauce you can find in Texas isn't a super common one and it's generally only found in North Texas. It's made like a typical gravy — thickened pan drippings with spices. The difference here is that the drippings in question come from smoked meat so it has that inherent smokey flavor you want in your BBQ.

Advertisement

Question 21
HowToBBQRight via YouTube
If you like dry-rubbed ribs where should you go?
Tennessee
North Carolina
Missouri
Kentucky
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Memphis, Tennessee does dry ribs, which are rubbed as opposed to sauced (though you can sauce them later, too, if you like). A typical rub will consist of salt, pepper, garlic, onion, celery seed, and probably something to give it a kick, like cayenne.

Advertisement

Question 16
Go Outside And Cook via YouTube
Lots of BBQ places make slaw on the side. Where are you getting red slaw?
North Carolina
Missouri
Texas
Alabama
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

North Carolina is home to red slaw, sometimes called Lexington-style slaw. While your average coleslaw is white thanks to mayonnaise being the base of the sauce, red slaw doesn't use mayo. It does have ketchup in it though, which is where the name comes from.

Advertisement

Question 28
swalls / E+ / Getty Images
Baby back ribs are a famous dish from where?
Missouri
Kentucky
Illinois
Alabama
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Kansas City, Missouri is home to some iconic baby back ribs and, arguably, is the city that made BBQ ribs famous. The key is the sauce that they use which is much sweeter than the sauce you'll find in other states.

Advertisement

Question 19
powerofforever / E+ / Getty Images
Pulled pork has become one of the most popular BBQ dishes in America. Where should you be going to try some?
Texas
Missouri
Tennessee
Georgia
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Good pulled pork exists in a lot of places but Memphis, Tennessee is famous for it. Cooked low and slow until the meat just falls apart naturally and slathered in sauce, it makes a sandwich you won't soon forget.

Advertisement

Question 34
TheWolfePit via YouTube
Which state would you want to head to for a sandwich made from finely chopped pork with a vinegar and pepper sauce
Kansas
Arkansas
Texas
Alabama
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Arkansas barbecue sauce is a bit zippier than some kinds, made with black pepper and vinegar as well as other spices. Some places will repurpose old ketchup bottles with this sauce and leave it on the table for you.

Advertisement

Question 29
Backwoods Gourmet Channel via YouTube
Do you know which state can fix you up some Brunswick stew?
Texas
Kentucky
Georgia
North Carolina
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Brunswick stew comes from Brunswick, Georgia and is so popular they have a festival for it. If you've never tried it, the stew is a tomato-based soup with corn and butter beans then piled full of smoked pork and chicken.

Advertisement

Question 36
HowToBBQRight via YouTube
Who has mastered the art of BBQ ham?
South Carolina
Alabama
Tennessee
Illinois
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Most barbecue focused on pork will use a pork shoulder, but some next-level barbecue uses fresh ham like they do in South Carolina. The curing process for ham makes the flavor more complex than simple pork shoulder.

Advertisement

Question 38
LOVE_LIFE / E+ / Getty Images
Where might you go for some famous wet-style ribs?
Hawaii
Texas
Tennessee
Alabama
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Memphis, Tennessee barbecue is famous for two kinds of ribs: dry ribs, which are made with a dry rub and smoked, and wet ribs, which are, obviously, made with a sauce slathered all over them.

Advertisement

Question 30
HowToBBQRight via YouTube
Pork shoulder sliced very thin is a specialty of this place. Do you know it?
Kentucky
Texas
Oklahoma
Colorado
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Head to Monroe County, Kentucky and they'll thinly slice some pork shoulder for you and cook it right over some hickory coals. The end result looks like a thick-cut ham or a thin-cut steak.

Advertisement

Question 26
Jan Charles via YouTube
Which state is making you the best smoked turkey sandwich with chow chow?
Alabama
Kentucky
Tennessee
South Carolina
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Like chicken, turkey has been pretty well mastered by the pitmasters of Alabama. You can get a killer turkey sandwich there served with chow chow, which is a kind of pickled relish that could be made from any number of veggies.

Advertisement

Question 25
Abom Adventures via YouTube
A man named Big Bob Gibson is credited with making this sauce that goes with chicken or pork. Where'd he make it?
Tennessee
South Carolina
Texas
Alabama
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Robert Gibson, owner of Big Bob Gibson's Bar-B-Q in Decatur, Alabama is credited with inventing Alabama's white bbq sauce. Using mayo as a base, the sauce includes vinegar, salt, pepper, other spices and sometimes horseradish for an extra kick.

Advertisement

Question 14
Cookin with SurfinSapo via YouTube
Pork shoulder is common but where would you be if you're having chopped pork shoulder on a bun with a dill pickle?
Kentucky
Texas
Alabama
Missouri
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

A good smoked pork shoulder should be in any BBQ pit's wheelhouse but the way it's handled after that can vary greatly by region. Chopped pork shoulder served on a bun with dill pickle is something you won't find many places outside of Alabama.

Advertisement

Question 40
The Intelligencer via YouTube
Where are you going to find the best smoked jalapeno and cheese sausage?
Texas
New Mexico
Oklahoma
Tennessee
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Texas may be most famous for its brisket and beef ribs but it does a good job with sausage as well. Adding a bit of Mexican flair with some jalapeno makes for some spicy and salty beef sausages that are a staple at many restaurants.

Advertisement

Question 11
Mark Dolan via YouTube
In what state are you finding the best BBQ mutton?
West Vriginia
Tennessee
Kentucky
Texas
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Kentucky does mutton on the barbecue, which is mature sheep as opposed to lamb which is usually younger. It's known for a decent fat content and a gamier taste than beef or pork. In Kentucky, it's also served with black dip, a Worcestershire-based sauce.

Advertisement

Question 27
Steve McIntosh via YouTube
There's a kind of sausage called "hot guts." Where is it from?
Missouri
Louisiana
Alabama
Texas
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Sausage may not get as much love as pork or brisket in BBQ, but in Texas, they do put in some effort to make it memorable. Hot gut sausage is made of a rough-chopped and spiced beef held in a pork casing and generally smoked to perfection.

Advertisement

Question 10
Cast Iron Chaos via YouTube
Hash over rice can be a meal all on its own in this state. Where is it?
South Carolina
Florida
Georgia
Kentucky
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Hash made from smoked, barbecue sausage or other meats and served over rice is a solid menu item in South Carolina. Some places make a hash that's chiefly French fries or some other weird ingredient but a good South Carolina hash is just that pure, smokey sausage meat, or maybe a few dozen other meats with some onions and spices ground down almost into a stew and served on rice

Advertisement

Question 33
906 Outdoors via YouTube
Smoked salami is a rare treat but who does it best?
Georgia
New York
Missouri
Texas
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

St Louis, Missouri is the place to go for some smoked salami which is exactly what it sounds like. It's one of the lesser-known items you'll find on any menu but those who have tried it have seemed to like it.

Advertisement

Question 5
rudisill / E+ / Getty Images
What state are you probably in when you order extra sauce and they correct you by saying "dip"?
Missouri
Alabama
Texas
North Carolina
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Even though the rest of the world knows it as sauce and they know what you mean when you ask for sauce, there's a good chance someone at a North Carolina BBQ place will suggest you want more dip when you ask. And, weirdly enough, you're not expected to dip anything in this tomato and vinegar mix. You pour it on because it's a sauce.

Advertisement

Question 17
Big Lew BBQ via YouTube
What state is going to serve you some crispy skin on the side of your plate?
Arkansas
Kentucky
Florida
North Carolina
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The skin of the pig is often discarded in a lot of BBQ cooking but they let it crisp up in North Carolina and will serve it on the side of a lot of mix plates if you want it. Some people call them cracklins.

Advertisement

Question 22
Chicago's Best via YouTube
You may not consider this a barbecue state but they're known for their rib tips. Where is it?
Colorado
Michigan
Illinois
New York
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Chicago, Illinois is home to a number of BBQ places that specialize in rib tips. As the name suggests, these are just the tips of the ribs, full of cartilage, but they make a tasty, smokey snack if they're done right. Arguably Illinois' biggest contribution to the BBQ scene.

Advertisement

Question 3
Felicia Chen / Moment Open / Getty Images
Barbacoa is favorite in some parts of what state?
Texas
Alabama
Arizona
South Carolina
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Southern Texas is a place to find barbacoa — a cow's head smoked in agave leaves. The meat is cooked slowly until it can just be shaved off and makes for an excellent barbacoa taco.

Advertisement

Question 39
Cooking with Shotgun Red via YouTube
Can you tell us where you'd go to get some burgoo?
Alabama
Arkansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Kentucky is famous for its burgoo, a kind of stew that can be made with just about any meat imaginable including chicken, pork, beef, turkey or more traditional and exotic items like squirrel and possum. It's a staple side dish for any Kentucky BBQ.

Advertisement

Question 37
Linda's Pantry via YouTube
In which state are you getting barbecue with a side of onion rings and apricot sauce?
South Carolina
Alabama
Kentucky
Texas
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Texas barbecue includes any number of famous sides, like baked beans or coleslaw, but there's also the very unique Texas side of onion rings served with a sweet and sticky apricot sauce.

Advertisement

Question 7
Wiki Commons by David P Brown
Which state is cooking up a mean pork steak?
Missouri
Georgia
South Carolina
Tennessee
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

You can get a pork steak if you head to St. Louis, Missouri, assuming you want the best kind you can get. A slice of pork shoulder cut about 2 inches thick and slow-cooked for a few hours until it's almost falling apart.

Advertisement

Question 1
allthingsbbq via YouTube
Where should you go if you want some of the best white chicken you can find?
Kentucky
North Carolina
Alabama
Missouri
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Alabama's most famous BBQ contribution is the white chicken, a quarter chicken served with white BBQ sauce. Most sauces have a red or brown hue based on their core ingredients but this sauce is all white thanks to the fact it uses mayo as a base mixed with vinegar and other ingredients.

Advertisement

Question 6
tomprout / E+ / Getty Images
Where should you go for pork off the pit?
Tennessee
Kentucky
Alabama
Arkansas
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In parts of Kentucky when you order meat off the pit they know you mean you want it sliced right then and there off the shoulder, still hot from the fire, and served with a side of sauce. It's as close as you can get to table-side service with a massive cut of BBQ meat.

Advertisement

Question 2
KCPT via YouTube
In which state are you most likely to find some burnt ends?
Georgia
Texas
Mississippi
Missouri
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Kansas City, Missouri is famous for its burnt ends: those little cuts of meat taken from the point of a smoked brisket and cubed. They're smoked black on the outside, hence the "burnt" part of the name, and smokey and flavorful inside. Other places make them but Kansas City perfected them.

Advertisement

Question 4
Kanawa_Studio / E+ / Getty Images
Which state is most likely to have a pitmaster who knows what you want when you ask for outside brown?
Kentucky
North Carolina
Arkansas
Tennessee
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Outside brown may not sound appetizing but it's the name they'll use in North Carolina to describe the darkest, crispiest pieces of meat on the outside of whatever was cooking. It's good for adding texture and some intense smokey flavor.

Advertisement

You Got:
/40
Lauri Patterson / E+ / Getty Images