The word “barbecue” comes from the Caribbean word “barbacoa.” Originally, a barbacoa wasn't a way of cooking food, but the name of a wooden structure used by Taino Indians to smoke their food.

Where does barbecue come from?

But barbecues the way that Americans know them now meat cooked over a grill or pit, covered in spices and basting sauce originated in the Caribbean. The word barbecue comes from the language of a Caribbean Indian tribe called the Taino. Their word for grilling on a raised wooden grate is barbacoa.

Where did BBQ originate in the US?

The original styles of barbecue are thought to be those that originated in the easternmost colonies, like the vinegar-based “whole hog” barbecue found in Virginia and North Carolina.