White vs Black barbecue: Viral video puts competition to test

A video shared by the YouTube channel Cocoa Butter comparing the different barbecues of Black and white people online has gone viral, amassing over two million views and putting barbecuing to the test.

Newsweek has contacted Cocoa Butter via social media message for comment.

Why It Matters

Barbecue is a huge part of American culture, and its history is diverse and storied. An article published by the BBC’s World’s Table traces the roots of barbecue to “the 17th-Century colonial period in slaveholding states.” An article published in the Smithsonian Magazine states that the first indigenous tribes that Christopher Columbus encountered on the island he later named Hispaniola had developed a method for cooking meat over an indirect flame, and states that the Spanish referred to this as baracoa, or the original barbecue.

Over time, the tradition of barbecue spread across the country through migration, and the culinary practice continues to evolve, whether it involves the proteins being cooked or the sauces. Barbecues are found across the country, and are a quintessential part of American culture, particularly in the South.

What To Know

Cocoa Butter’s description on their YouTube channel reads in part, “Cocoa Butter is a Black culture and entertainment channel created to provide a safe space for people of color on the internet to consume humorous, informative, and uplifting content.”

The barbecue video features four people, Judd and Christopher, who are both on ‘Team White,’ and William and Ronda, who are both on ‘Team Black.’ They all try each other’s food in the video, as part of the ‘Barbecue Taste Wars.’

At the beginning of the video, the guests describe the difference between white and black barbecue.

“The difference between a black barbecue and a white barbecue is the sauce and the love that we give in to it,” Ronda says. William, meanwhile, says, “If you’re in the South, it could be similar, but if you’re anywhere else in the United States, the seasoning is different,” and Christopher says, “I really think Black folks do it better most of the time.”

This plays into a long-held debate that regularly plays out on social media about food. Food made by white people is often associated with and critiqued for being bland and unseasoned. This debate, particularly in the context of barbecues and cookouts, often makes for viral videos online, with people comparing the different kinds of cooking and cultural differences.

In the video, William’s barbecue features beans, St. Louis-style ribs, and Parmesan corn. Judd’s barbecue had a ‘Meat and three,’ which included flank steak, cowboy butter, smashed potatoes, a salad, and beans. Ronda’s barbecue had ribs, potato salad, baked beans, a Hawaiian roll, and potato chips. Christopher’s barbecue had pork ribs with a dry rub, baked beans, and potato salad.

Ultimately, Ronda’s barbecue came out on top, and ‘Team Black’ was crowned the winner.

What People Are Saying

Christopher, speaking in the Cocoa Butter video: “Barbecue really brings people together. People of all backgrounds love it; they’ll all come to the table and have fellowship over a rib.”

Ronda, speaking in the Cocoa Butter video: “I was born to barbecue.2

One comment on the YouTube video reads: “I knew Ronda won as soon as Judd was having an out of body experience.”

Another comment on the video reads: “As soon as I saw Ms. Ronda’s plate I knew she would win. You can make the fanciest plate with the most exquisite ingredients but nothing beats simple home cooking from a grandma.”

What’s Next

Cocoa Butter regularly shares videos where people try each other’s food, with recent examples including people trying seafood boils and jerk chicken. Similar content may well go on to go viral online.