In may just be in human nature to barbecue. Well, we have been doing it as far back as time can denote. In the Stone Age, man hunted for food and cooked it over an open flame. And while we still cook over flame today, there are actually two different types. True barbecue requires a sauce. If not, you are just grilling. While both are good, barbecue involves slowly cooking the meat with low temperature for hours.

When you think about going to a barbecue, you probably think of yummy, juicy food such as hamburgers and steak or even a good hot dog with all the fixins'. The term barbecue does not only refer to the food but also to the event itself. The act of gathering together with friends and family to enjoy good food, drinks and a great time has been an honored tradition for generations. It doesn't matter where you live or where you are from, the barbecue is a popular get-together.

So we all know that the barbecue is an honored American tradition but just where did it originate anyway? Well, there are several different states that each has their own claim to fame when it comes to the barbecue. Texas, Virginia, Georgia and the Carolinas all have stories about how the barbecue originated. If you look into the history of barbecues you will see that each of these states has a slightly different method of barbecuing so they very well could have all come up with it. Wherever the idea came from, it took off really fast.

If you love barbecue, then you know a staple of the successful barbecue is a great barbecue sauce. There are different types of sauces but the original Texas BBQ is famous for it's thick sweet tomato flavor. In Texas, they also enjoy using a dry-rub seasoning on the beef before it is barbecued.

Southeast barbecue sauce is slightly different. If you get BBQ sauce in Georgia it will likely be thinner and with more vinegar. Another difference in the barbecue is that instead of beef, they use more pork. You will also see barbecue pits used often. This method "smokes" the meat giving it a great smoked in flavor. Pit barbecues are very popular and leave you with great tasting meat.

Your family likely has their own barbecue secrets and they might be passed down from generation to generation. You might have your own secret BBQ sauce recipe. Your family may have a slow cook method for beef or pork or maybe you enjoy both. Whatever type of barbecue you like, there is no doubt that families and friends love it and it will stick around for many more years to come.

Laura Kjer is the webmaster of Shop Barbecue which is a premier source of information about Barbecue. For more information, go to: http://shopbarbecue.com