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Is it spelled barbecue, barbeque, barbecu, barbacue, barbicu, babracot, bar-b-q or BBQ? As I enjoyed a beautiful rib this weekend, I wondered about the spelling of the word that means, “Meat cooked over an open flame.”
A quick history lesson – barbecue stems from the 18th-century Spanish word, barbacoa. The English derivative, barbecue, has been dominant since the 19th century, while the secondary spelling, barbeque, has recently become popular among restaurants.
My favorite Atlanta barbecue joints, Community Q BBQ, Fox Bros. Bar-B-Q and This is It! BBQ and Seafood, use the abbreviations, but it’s delicious no matter how you spell it.
– André Ledgister, SPR Atlanta