brisket in the Ozarks. Juicy ribs. Savory chicken thighs. Arkansas is far more than a crossroads between barbecue giants. It's a land with multiple barbecue traditions that originated right here in The Natural State.

Kat Robinson set out on a journey to determine Arkansas's barbecue style and history. She discovered meat smoking traditions that vary with the landscape - from 16th century smoking practices to Reconstruction era culinary shifts, from post-refrigeration practices to how food channels changed how we consume these meats. Along the way, she found far more barbecue restaurants, food trucks, catering operations, and family eateries that specialize in smoked meats than any expert ever expected. With well over 350 different spots across Arkansas offering house-smoked meats, not including the regional and national chains that also offer barbecue dishes, The Natural State could legitimately be called The Barbecue State.

In this guide, the first in Robinson's barbecue series, enjoy pork steaks along Crowley's Ridge, smoked and fried bologna in West Memphis, wood smoked hanger steak in Gravette, smoked catfish in Sherwood, smoked prime rib in Horatio, vegan barbecue creations in Fayetteville, pork belly candy in Searcy, and so many more. Read this book twice - once to see where to go and what to get, and again when you pull it out of your glove compartment when you're on the road - and savor these tantalizing flavors of Arkansas!