Black Smoke: African Americans and the United States of Barbecue

by Adrian Miller

Across America, the pure love and popularity of barbecue cookery have gone through the roof. Prepared in one regional style or another, in the South and beyond, barbecue is one of the nation's most distinctive culinary arts. And people aren't just eating it; they're also reading books and articles and watching TV shows about it. But why is it, asks Adrian Miller—admitted 'cuehead and longtime certified barbecue judge—that in today's barbecue culture African Americans don't get much love?

In Black Smoke , Miller chronicles how Black barbecuers, pitmasters, and restauranteurs helped develop this cornerstone of American foodways and how they are coming into their own today. It's a smoke-filled story of Black perseverance, culinary innovation, and entrepreneurship. Though often pushed to the margins, African Americans have enriched a barbecue culture that has come to be embraced by all. Miller celebrates and restores the faces and stories of the men and women who have influenced this American cuisine. This beautifully illustrated chronicle also features 22 barbecue recipes collected just for this book.

Genres: Food, Cookbooks, History, Nonfiction, Cooking, Food History, Food Writing

301 pages, Hardcover

First published April 27, 2021

About the author

Adrian Miller is a food writer, attorney and certified barbecue judge who lives in Denver, CO. He is currently the executive director of the Colorado Council of Churches. Miller previously served as a special assistant to President Bill Clinton and a senior policy analyst for Colorado governor Bill Ritter Jr. He has also been a board member of the Southern Foodways Alliance. Miller’s Soul Food: The Surprising Story of an American Cuisine, One Plate at a Time won the James Beard Foundation Award for Scholarship and Reference in 2014.

His next book, "The President’s Kitchen Cabinet: The Story of the African Americans Who Have Fed Our First Families, from the Washingtons to the Obamas," was published on President's Day, 2017.

Reviews

[Denver Public Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this book is like having Adrian Miller sitting beside you, telling stories, dishing sass and attitude, and feeling the pride he has in bringing the story of African American barbecue to the page and to our eyes. I learned and relearned so much about African American culture from this book, from the connection between Juneteenth and baseball to the importance of political stops at barbecue joints to solidify Black votes. Being a Denverite, Miller can’t help but pull luminaries of the West, like our own Daddy Bruce Randolph Sr.’s sauce, into the canon. Miller provides plenty of context and facts, but the beauty of this book, besides the 22 recipes, is the storytelling. My household is already jonesing for Johnetta Miller’s Banana Pudding, a recipe straight from Miller’s own mother.

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a self-proclaimed bbq aficionado, this opened my eyes to the true history of this art form and how it’s been co-opted by the most privileged in our society.

I knew there was something special about the food I ate at Arthur Bryant’s and Gates in KC and Cozy Corner and Payne’s in Memphis, and now I can put my finger on it. Looking forward to eating more food from African American bbq joints mentioned in the book.

My only complaint is maybe something that maybe went wrong during publication… there were many times a passage would get interrupted and then randomly continue on several pages later. Maybe I missed an explanation but it was confusing at times.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I walked into one of the spice stores in town and they had a big display. This book, along with a set of spices curated by the author. I only went for vanilla beans..........needless to say, the set and this book came home with me as well. And it opened with a nod to the Southern Food Alliance (I love their podcast), so that was a draw as well.

Black Smoke travels the history of barbecue, or barbeque, or Bar-B-Q; trust me, there's some variation there. More specifically, it focuses on the history of Black and African Americans and their BBQ culture, detailing out origins (possible Native American elements), spices(both new and some that can tie its roots to Africa), and a myriad of other topics such as sauce, advertisement, success, and other such factors.

Notably, while always being associated with BBQ, Black Americans are not as likely to be given space in the competitive or televised arenas. The advent of challenge shows and cooking shows, along with general competition has them vastly underrepresented. This has its roots in segregation, much like many other areas (not just cooking). I appreciated that this book outlined the how's and why's and it made me question some of the things I viewed on TV whereas I might have not looked as critically before.

This book also offered a surprise in that it had recipes, pictures, and references. Which really just added that extra layer of in-depth immersion into BBQ. Informative, full of barbecue, this is definitely a book if you want to learn more food history.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book presents an interesting and comprehensive history of barbecue and Black contributions to its evolution. The author demonstrates that historically Black pitmasters are overlooked and marginalized, and the situation has arguably gotten worse in today's foodie culture. The book doesn't get too heavy even when discussing topics such as slavery, because the author always comes back to the food and his love for barbecue radiates from the pages.

My one major gripe about this book is the formatting. Each chapter features a profile of an individual pitmaster, which is fine. What is annoying is that the profiles pop up randomly in the middle of a chapter, and since they last 3-4 pages it interupts the flow of the rest of the text. It would have been better to put the profiles at the ends of the chapters, or at least put them in a different font or with wider margins to distinguish them from the rest of the text. When a profile pops up in the middle of a sentence from the chapter it is hard to find where the sentence ends.

[Zach Church · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well-researched, compelling, and incredibly exciting. As a reader, as a traveler, as an ... eater? ... it's invigorating to be introduced to so many new people, ideas, and stories that are so accessible and part of our national history.

There are roughly three elements to the book: History, entrepreneurship, and present-day considerations (media, competition, food travel). All three are of course entwined throughout.

The history is well-researched, engaging, often surprising, sometimes funny, and just generally is good reading. The author is up-front about what he can't say for sure, doesn't push any theories too hard, and avoids easy narratives.

The entrepreneurship is everywhere in the book but the individual profiles throughout are a great set of mini stories that add up to a big story of centuries of African American entrepreneurship taking place in the face of major hurdles.

The present-day considerations were at turns infuriating and exhilarating. The media part, especially, is just maddening to behold with so much erasure crammed into a short 15 pages. But the author also points to a future where Black barbecue in America has its own space and - while garnering media - thrives more on local considerations. That's compelling. This book imagines a world where local, multi-generational places thrive and where new traditions begin as new ideas, encapsulated in the last three profiles in the book.

Anyway, my 'to-eat' list got longer, and my eyes are more open. I've got new ways of thinking about BBQ. And I'm incredibly grateful for that. I'm only sorta grateful for the way the full-color photograph of a sandwich from Payne's BBQ in Memphis - my personal answer for 'If you could only eat one bbq item for the rest of your life' -taunted me throughout this read.

[Bookworm · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've read a few of Miller's books and was curious to read this one, too. I don't consider myself a barbecue expert or foodie or connoisseur but do enjoy food histories and have liked Miller's other works. So I was intrigued to learn more about the history, the rivalry, the impact, etc. of barbeque and the role of Black people with regards to this particular cuisine.

Miller goes through the history of barbeque, from its earliest origins to looking at how barbeque is prepared and done today. There are recipes, individual profiles, history, etc. It's a pretty dense read and look at barbequing overall.

So I would have to say the negative reviews are definitely on point. It's very dense and felt very disorganized. It was overall very hard to follow and could have really benefited from an editor or a better, more refined focus. Perhaps a companion book looking at the individual profiles and the recipes. Or a separate cookbook instead. I'm not sure this format suited what the author was going for.

If you're into barbeque, food history, Black history, the influence of Black people on food, cooking, cuisine in the US, etc. this might be a great book for you. As a layperson this was definitely best as a library borrow.

I'll still read Miller's books but will probably stick to library borrows as that was best for me.

[Jeremy Garber · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful, funny, and subversive mix of cookbook, history book, sermon, and political manifesto. Adrian Miller, James Beard award-winner author (and full disclosure, trustee of the Iliff School of Theology where I work), surveys the history of barbecue inextricably woven with the Black experience. Miller begins with Native American outdoor spit cooking, West African sauces, and the cooking of enslaved people (both for their enslavers and for themselves). He then looks at the rise of white appropriation of barbecue and the current influence of foodie culture and competition barbecuing. Miller even includes a chapter on the intimate connection between barbecue and the black church. (He notes that you can tell the difference between a soul food restaurant and a barbecue place because the former plays R&B and the latter plays gospel music). Along the way, Miller sprinkles his narrative with sidebars about famous Black barbecuers both historic and modern, and selected hardcore recipes (including a tangy mock recipe about how to make Black barbecue invisible in the media). Reading Miller's book sounds like you're listening to your favorite uncle reminisce about the best meals he's had in his life, including witty asides and name-dropping. I can't recommend this book enough! (And I'll try to up my grill game too.)

[Meghan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was received as an ARC from University of North Carolina Press - Ferris & Ferris Books in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

At first, I was intrigued by the unique title of Black Smoke. I did not expect this book to be about Barbeque and what it takes to master the craft. Myself being allergic to smoke, I do not BBQ a lot but I have eaten many BBQ including one of the best ribs I have ever had in my entire life. While watching many shows on food network and watching a season of top chef where a whole challenge was all about BBQ with guest judge Rodney Scott, I learned so much that I had to explore. Adrian Miller throughout the book was very knowledgeable in the art of BBQ and the recipes sounded delicious. However, that is my one critique, the recipes SOUNDED delicious, there were no photos and when I add a cookbook to our collection, one of the very important details that grab my attention and our patrons attention are the photos of the recipes. Otherwise, a very enticing book filled with unique techniques and modern twists on classic southern BBQ.

We will consider adding this title to our TX Non-Fiction collection at our library. That is why we give this book 4 stars.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well-written, informative, and important book. (I plan to read Mr. Miller's book Soul Food: The Surprising Story of an American Cuisine, One Plate at a Time next.)

If there is one flaw in the book, it's the publisher's questionable layout decision to interleaf individual biographical profiles within an ongoing chapter. Although the inserts are on a subtly different paper (gray instead of white), that distinction is only clear in very good lighting. The profiles are interesting and definitely an asset to the book, but the interruption of the text can be problematic. In the most egregious two cases: a hyphenated word begins on page 215 and ends on 219, and page 249 sits all on its own between two profiles. I would have preferred the profiles grouped at the end of each chapter's main body of text, right before the recipes for that chapter.

That said, the book provides important history and insights—sometimes painful, sometimes laugh-out-loud funny. And it's bound to make you crave barbecue (in my case, during the whole read).

[Trish W. · Rating 4 out of 5]

While the topic of this book is barbecue and there are some recipes in it, this is not a cookbook. Adrian Miller has done a superlative job researching and writing about the historic foundation of barbecue in America. He also speaks to the present state of the art, which is long overdue. For any reader with an interest in history, culture, and food, Black Smoke is a must-read.

One caveat about the way this book was put together... Miller does short personal portraits of barbecuers in each chapter. These were inserted before the ends of the chapters without being clearly delineated, which is at first quite confusing and then somewhat annoying.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is very dense and comprehensive. If you have any interest in barbeque or African American history, this is the book for you. The writing is a little uneven in places -- just seemed like it needed another pass at editing to smooth out the prose. But other than that, I have no complaints. This is an incredible read.

And being from Kansas City, I thought he did a wonderful job on covering all the different aspects of the KC barbeque scene, from Gates and Arthur Bryant's to LC's to Jill Silva's coverage of the Jones Sisters. A fantastic read.

[Tom Zalatnai · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic read, a really great look into the untold stories behind the often-whitewashed history of American bbq. Miller is a great writer and you owe it to yourself to learn from his research! My one gripe is with formatting- it drives me crazy when books have a break mid-sentence to insert full pages of side-stories, which could have just as easily been tacked on at the end of a chapter. Grab a second bookmark so you can keep track of where those are, if you want to maintain the flow of the chapter and come back to them later!

[Djosher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well-researched and often thought-provoking barbecue history and commentary. Miller’s writing style is easily digestible, so to speak. Editors could have done a better job with the “In The Smoke” sidebars; readers have to figure out where to jump to in order to skip and then come back to read them. Pretty minor, but avoidable, annoyance.

[Talma Harmon · Rating 5 out of 5]

BBQ

Enjoyed learning so much about barbecue and the role it has played in American history, and especially how it evolved in African-American history. I am looking forward to sharing this information with others, as well as try some of the restaurants mentioned. And, I will be sure to tell them that you sent me, Mr. Miller!!!🤗

[Monica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very chill book. I get the people complaining about the weird formatting, it just wasn't that weird, and easily figured out, so... I guess I don't get the complaints. :P

Anyhow, Miller makes it seem like he's inviting you over to a family gathering, and there's all these really cool stories about BBQ and history, and super interesting people, and it's just very enjoyable.

[Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Miller documents and preserves U.S. food history, cultural history, and honors African-American master of barbecue. Immensely readable and interesting like his previous two books, I read this in one day. The author's personality also comes through with humor.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love cooking and eating bbq, and this book opened my eyes to the cultural history of this food that I and so many others enjoy. Knowing to whom we owe the proper credit ought to enhance our appreciation for the food and the people who pioneered it in the worst of conditions.

[Dominic · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you think your a pitmaster, or 'cue king, or just a maven or fan, read this book. You don't know nothing about barbecue and this is where to get straight on it. Thoroughly enjoyed it and was enlightened and fascinated. You gotta be a grill geek, though, else you won't get it.

[Mary Northrup · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scholarly in its research (lots of footnotes) but engaging in its writing style, this nonfiction book celebrates the history, the people, and the food in the world of barbecue. For foodies, barbecue lovers, and readers interested in African American history and food culture.

[Betsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fairly interesting culinary history tied into larger history.

[Aaron Novak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly recommended for anyone who loves food, barbecue or history. Miller shines a light on many African-American BBQ cooks that have been pushed to the margins of American food history and culture.

[Kerrie · Rating 2 out of 5]

not my genre

[Jeff Guillory]

This is a great historical walk through time regarding the role and contributions of black Americans to barbecue in the United States. There are also some great recipes in here!

[Pmuldary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting history of great BBQ roots.

[Justin · Rating 3 out of 5]

The historical context is awesome but the lack of actual recipes is my main ding against this book. A huge opportunity to show great bbq recipes by African American pioneers was missed.

[Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book about BBQ & it's history!

[Christine Lucia Asha · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I could give this book EIGHT stars I would! I have never thought about buying a non-fiction book I borrowed from the library until now. This book is full of facts that keep me thinking and intrigued and wanting more. BBQ is not at all what I ever thought it was.

I had to renew this book more times than was allowed....twice. I am still making notations about recipes and authors and history we never learned in school.

#firstnations #blacklivesmatter #whiteprivilege

[John Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating book on the huge influence of Black Americans on barbecue cooking in the U.S. Spans time from slavery African roots through present, including Colorado’s own Daddy Bruce Randolph. Deals with historical issues, including brutal slavery restriction and Jim Crow laws.