Walk into Stamey's Barbecue in Greensboro, or Lexington Barbecue in Lexington, and you'll get a serving of slow-roasted pork shoulder, served with a sweet 'n sour "dip" that includes a hint of tomato sauce. People in piedmont North Carolina call that barbecue. But if you walk into Scott's Famous Barbecue in Goldsboro, or Parker's in Wilson, you'll get barbecue prepared from the whole hog, seasoned with a lively blend of vinegar and pepper, without a drop of tomato anywhere. That's what eastern North Carolinians call barbecue. To barbecue novices--usually people from other states--the difference may appear subtle, but to aficionados, they are significant. (If you're from North Carolina, you're an aficionado; if you just moved here, you'll be one before long).

But don't get North Carolinians wrong; no matter what part of the state it's from, North Carolina barbecue is barbecue the way it should be. In North Carolina Barbecue, Bob Garner takes us on a delectable journey across the state in search of the best examples of this distinctive North Carolina delicacy. Along the way he explores such important topics as cooking with wood vs. electricity, the proper etiquette for a pig picking, the differences between North Carolina barbecue and the stuff they serve in the rest of the country--even how to make your own Tar Heel barbecue. What he discovers on this journey is that, while the debate rages on, there is no doubt that barbecue is a delicious and important part of the state's heritage and identity.