The biggest is absolutely barbecue. Nothing else comes close.
Ah yes, my failure for this past summer. I got a smoker and made some amazing barbecued everything. I tried so many cuts of meat, so many rubs and sauces from around the world, lots of salsas and roasted peppers, but never vinegar based, never mustard based, and especially never did a brisket.
Chili with or without kidney beans
Seasoning a steak with salt, pepper, both, or neither, also temps above medium-rare
A bunch already covered bbq’s
Green bean casserole requires crispy fried onions on top
Ketchup on a hot dog or eggs can be pretty contested in the right crowd
Peanut butter on a hamburger
Chicago vs New York.
I don’t even gotta say the food.
I think only Chicagoans think that rivalry is a big one. People from the New York area just laugh at Chicago style pizza.
Each region has different foods. The south loves their BBQ and there is roughly one style per state in the south (the Carolinas and Texas have multiples), and each is fiercely defended as the best. (Shout-out to Owensboro mutton!)
Hotdogs and how they are served are another fight. Chicago, NY, Seattle, etc. have distinct styles and are eaten enough at lunch that folks become very protective of their mid-day rituals.
Soda/pop/soft drink flavors are also weirdly regional.
And none of these factor in the folks in the underrepresented areas like Hawaii, Alaska, etc. I can’t even find info on food preferences for PR, Samoa, Guam, etc. Actual fruit and pork are big flavors that get their own treatment but aren’t acknowledged as American, like Kalua pork or Taxi soda.
American is like a bunch of different regions that share a currency. Each has its own unique perspective on food and drink.
I’ve not heard of most of these. This is wild.
BBQ styles tend to get people picking sides because they vary so widely and often have something to then that is unfamiliar to people who are used to another style.
All involve slow cooking. Some are dry, as in dry spices and seasonings are applied but no moisture. Others are wet and are frequently slathered in sauce while cooking. Some have a very strong smokey flavor and some have a strong vinegar taste.
I like most types, except the ones with the strong vinegar flavor. While I won’t tell someone they are wrong for liking that, if I accidently bite into the vinegar based BBQ it makes me angry and people being confrontational about it makes a bit more sense.
There is also some pizza rivalries and people who like Chicago deep dish are wrong.
people who like Chicago deep dish are wrong
[Chicago will remember that]
That shit is delicious though. It’s simply that it’s not "pizza"😁.
Edit: for anyone not familiar with the infamous “bit” about it being a casserole: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzXIpp59eoU.
I know here in NC, the biggest may be Eastern BBQ vs Western. And yes there most definitely is a right answer!
How different are they? Is this the spices, the way the meat is cooked?
Also, when you say BBQ in NC, it means pork.
And for the record, eastern style wins.
So they are both pork based BBQ, distinct from brisket and other more “Texas” BBQ which is traditionally beef. Eastern BBQ is the whole hog being smoked normally while the western or “Lexington” style is the pork shoulder primarily. Eastern then uses a vinegar based sauce that is thinner than the normal expected BBQ sauce you’d find in the bottle at a store. The idea is the vinegar and spices in the eastern style stand to enhance the natural flavor of the meat with just a kick of spice. Western uses the more common idea of barbecue sauce that is tomato based, sweet, and sticky. These sauces normally have a more distinct flavor that is the goal moreso than the meat itself. I’m by no means a professional chef or food historian so this may not be 100% accurate but I hope it explains some! There is an interesting history behind the origins of each as well that I encourage a read on for fun!
