July 4th barbecue sauce map: Which style is each state searching for?
With Independence Day -- one of the biggest outdoor feast days of the year -- around the corner, Google is celebrating by stirring up an age-old debate: What's the right way to make barbecue?
Google Trends used its data to put together a map of the most uniquely searched styles of barbecue sauce in every state. While the map doesn't get into the differences in the types of barbecue itself, there is a lot of interesting data about which style of sauces are more popular in different areas of the country.
As anyone who's ever even visited the South knows, this is the area of the country with the strongest opinions about barbecue.
Texans, who are some of the most vocal proponents that their barbecue is best, are searching for "no sugar" barbecue recipes, according to the map.
In North Carolina, where both Eastern style with vinegar and Lexington style with ketchup are popular, it appears Eastern is the most uniquely searched.
Some states were searching for styles that are generally associated with other states. In South Carolina, where they're known for their mustard-based sauce, the searches for "vinegar" won out. White barbecue sauce, the mayonnaise-based sauce generally associated with Alabama, was popular throughout the South.
Venturing away from that region, there are parts of the country that are searching to mimic various Southern barbecue styles. In Indiana, it's "Alabama." In Pennsylvania and nearby areas, they're searching for "Carolina" style barbecue sauce.
Many states are keeping it simple and searching for homemade recipes, while others are mixing it up and doing their own thing. Californians are searching for Mexican barbecue sauce recipes. In New Jersey, they're looking for bacon barbecue sauce. In Illinois, they're looking for bourbon barbecue sauce.
