When was barbecue sauce created?

There's no single, definitive answer to when barbecue sauce was created! Here's why:

* Barbecue is an ancient tradition: The act of cooking meat over fire goes back thousands of years. It's likely that early forms of "barbecue sauce" involved simple combinations of spices and ingredients that were readily available.

* Regional variations: Barbecue sauce evolved in different parts of the world, with each region developing its own unique flavor profile. This makes it difficult to pinpoint a specific origin or inventor.

* No single recipe: Unlike a patented invention, barbecue sauce is a constantly evolving culinary tradition. There are countless recipes, each with its own history and influences.

However, here are some key points:

* Indigenous Americans: Many historians believe Native Americans were using sauces made with herbs, spices, and sometimes chillies to flavor their meats long before European settlers arrived.

* Early colonists: European settlers in America adopted the barbecue technique and began to develop their own sauces using ingredients like vinegar, mustard, molasses, and spices.

* 18th-19th centuries: The industrialization of America and the rise of commercial sauces helped popularize barbecue sauce as we know it.

In summary: While we can't pinpoint an exact date, barbecue sauce has a long and fascinating history, with roots in indigenous traditions and evolving through centuries of culinary experimentation.