Few foods feel quite as American as barbecue. Its origin, however, traces back to the Columbian Exchange when the fruits, vegetables, spices, and traditions of the Americas first mingled with those in Europe. Native Caribbeans—the Arawak Taino people—presented Spanish explorers with barbacoa: a technique for slowly smoking meats redolent with native spices over wood coals. The Spanish introduced pork to the process and the results are legendary. Today barbecue is very much an American institution with strong regional preferences for meats, sauces, spices, wood smoke, equipment, fuel, and cooking time. Whichever barbecue elements you choose to employ, our handcrafted spice blends will help you achieve flame-tickled perfection.