What kind of strange culture would spend a day in the rain waiting in line for BBQ? Apparently, it is the New York City foodie tribe and the event was the 7th Annual Big Apple BBQ Block Party. If it were not for the Tasting Table, I may have missed this visitation from 15 of the country’s finest pit masters and would not have joined with thousands of pilgrims in the near-religious experience.

Instead of following clouds of incense from a Buddhist temple or a beautiful cathedral, we followed the barreling smoke clouds emanating from BBQ pits. A golden pig idol might as well have been erected in the center of Madison Square Park, as we were all there for the many manifestations of pork be it pulled pork, ribs, brisket, or sausage. Still, there were also “non-pork” surprises such as butter, Parmesan cheese, and paprika corn-on-the-cob as well as desserts and flavorful beans.

I examined the crowd closely and noticed the believers were made up of two dominant groups: the expected white, American Joes and people of Asian decent (Chinese, Korean, etc.). It made perfect sense for Asian groups to enjoy the American way of preparing one of the most loved meats in Chinese, Pilipino, Korean, and Vietnamese cuisine. However, I did not see any ambassadors from the Polynesian, Hawaiian, and Samoan populations. They were missed, as their love for pork is just as strong! I hope to see more cultural groups enjoying this fun festival next year!

Standing in the rain for an hour for BBQ...This is so much fun!

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