History

National Barbecue Month! — May 2009

May marks the start of barbecue season. Americans dust off their grills, replenish charcoal supplies, and fill propane tanks to prepare favorite barbecued foods. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that approximately 78 million Americans will attend at least one barbecue before years' end. As the aroma of barbecued meat, wood smoke, sweet sauces, and spicy rubs fill your neighborhood, consider these barbecue facts:

• According to the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association, the most popular holidays for barbecuing are July 4th (69%), Memorial Day (56%), and Labor Day (50%).
• Hamburgers are the most popular grilled food, which is why May is also National Hamburger Month.
• Kingsford Charcoal® was founded in the 1920s to convert wood scraps from Ford's Model T production into a saleable product. Today, Kingsford turns more than 1 million tons of wood scraps into charcoal briquettes!
• Competition barbecuing is one of the "hottest" hobbies in the nation with hundreds of cook-offs held in all 50 states. The biggest and most famous are the World Barbecue Championship in Memphis and the American Royal in Kansas City.

Featured Photograph

Lyndon B. Johnson (with J. Edgar Hoover, left) hosted the first cookout at the White House featuring Texas-style barbecued ribs. Jimmy Carter introduced “pig pickin’” to about 500 guests, and George H. Bush held annual barbecues for Members of Congress on the White House’s South Lawn.