Just like each region of the country features people speaking with different accents, barbecue also varies by region. There are three basic qualities used to identify barbecue: the sauce, the type of meat and the type of wood used to smoke and cook the meat.
There are about five regions where barbecue is prepared differently. In the first area, comprised of North and South Carolina, pit-cooked pork is served with vinegar-based sauce. However, there are differences in barbecue from each of the Carolinas, and even within the same state. For example, the barbecue sauce in eastern North Carolina is vinegar-based and served with coleslaw that is colored with turmeric, giving the slaw a yellowish color. In the western North Carolina area, the sauce has a tomato and vinegar base and is served with coleslaw that is white, without turmeric.