Canada hasn’t really contributed much to the art of barbecue, unless you count maple-syrup glaze or the wonderful Native method of cooking salmon on a cedar frame by an open fire. We’ve adopted a combination of methods and ingredients that reflect the distinct regional styles of barbecue in the United States, where the word barbecue, depending on where it is used, often refers to just the meat being cooked, usually pork of some type.

And we won’t get into whether or not cooking can even be considered barbecuing if it is done with gas (an outdoor kitchen) or over a direct flame (grilling). We’ll leave that to the purists to argue about as they debate the various merits of smoke, indirect heat, charcoal, and dry rubs versus wet rubs.

Generally speaking, most barbecue styles are derived from four or five recognizable geographic varieties in the States, where such cooking is often regarded with the reverence accorded religion. Broadly, the North Carolina method slow-cooks pork then serves it shredded and basted with a vinegar-based sauce laced with chili flakes and black pepper (South Carolina boasts a classic mustard sauce).

The Memphis style focuses on the pig as well, mostly ribs and pulled pork, but with a tangy and sweet tomato-based sauce. Kansas City goes for tomatoes as well, but with a clinging, extra-sweet, thick dressing on its famous brisket and ribs.

Texas style features more beef and sausages than pork, sometimes slow-smoked and without sauce. And St. Louis’s distinguishing feature is a thin, sweet tomato sauce in which pork is sometimes directly simmered for hours.