Texas, Carolina, Memphis or Kansas City barbecue: the styles and the vote

American barbecue is really four or more traditions: Texas is about beef brisket, the Carolinas are about pork and a thin vinegar sauce, Memphis is about ribs, and Kansas City is about variety, burnt ends and a sweet, thick sauce. In the Mosey app, Settle it asks people in the US which of the four is best, and shows how the country voted once enough people have.

What is Texas barbecue known for?

Beef, and above all brisket. Central Texas barbecue is often described as a black-pepper-heavy rub, a long time in the smoke, and little or no sauce, because the meat is meant to carry the flavor. Beef ribs and hot links also turn up on Texas menus.

The practical tip is to order by the pound at the counter, ask for a mix of lean and fatty brisket if the place offers it, and taste before you reach for sauce.

What is a sensible first order?

At a counter-service place, a quarter pound of brisket, one rib and a link is enough for two people to taste the range. Bread and pickles are the usual sides, and they exist to reset your palate between bites.

What makes Carolina barbecue different?

Pork is the center of it. Pulled pork is served on its own or in a sandwich, often topped with coleslaw, and in some areas the whole hog is cooked. The sauce is thin and built on vinegar and cayenne pepper, closer to a seasoning than a glaze.

If you are used to thick, sweet sauce, the first bite of a vinegar-based one is a surprise. It cuts the richness of the pork, which is the idea.

Why do people argue about it?

Because each region holds its own style to be the original and the proper one, and because the sauce is so different from place to place. A thin vinegar sauce and a thick sweet one are not two versions of one thing. They are answers to different questions about what sauce is for.

What is Memphis barbecue?

Pork again, with ribs as the signature. Memphis ribs come wet, brushed with sauce, or dry, with a spice rub and no sauce, and many places will tell you which they are known for. Pulled pork sandwiches are a staple too.

The sauce is thinner and less sweet than the Kansas City kind, with a tangy tomato base.

What is Kansas City barbecue?

It is the most varied of the four, covering ribs, brisket, chicken and sausage. The signature is burnt ends, the crunchy, dark edge of a whole brisket that is cubed and smoked again. The sauce is sweet, ketchup-based and enriched with molasses.

Kansas City and the Carolinas are the most sauce-forward styles. Texas often skips sauce altogether.

Why is it the one that has a bit of everything?

A Kansas City menu can hold ribs, brisket, chicken and sausage on one plate, so it is the easiest style for a mixed group. Ask for burnt ends early, because they are made from the brisket's edge and a kitchen has only so much of it.

How does the barbecue vote in Mosey work?

Settle it shows on Home as a card when your market has debates. The question is "Which barbecue style is best?" with four sides: Texas, Carolina, Memphis and Kansas City. You pick one, you can change it any time by tapping another, and your latest pick counts.

Reading is open to everyone. Voting needs an account. After you pick, you see how everyone in your country has voted, and you can share your pick as an image.

When do the results appear?

Only once at least three counted votes are in for the country. Until then the app says there are not enough votes yet. The shares are whole numbers that add up to 100, and when two sides tie at the top the app says it is too close to call instead of naming a winner.

A counted vote is a real customer account that has not been shadow-banned, and votes are kept per country.

Does the vote say which place has the best barbecue?

No. Every side is a style, and no business is in the question. The app is clear that the result is what Mosey diners voted, not a ranking of any place. To compare particular places, read the ratings people leave for the dishes themselves.

A plate of barbecue is usually three or four different meats, so a single score for the plate says little. On Mosey you can rate the dishes you ate one by one, which tells the next diner whether the brisket or the ribs is the thing to order.

Can people outside the US vote?

No. The barbecue debate runs in the US only. A person in another market does not see the card, and a vote sent for a debate that does not run in their market is refused.

If you travel, the card follows your market, so a visitor from another country sees the debates of the market the app is using. The shares you see are always the shares for that market, never a world total.

How this works in the app: Settle it.

More guides to read next:

• Which city does hot chicken best? Nashville, Memphis, Atlanta, LA
• Maine or Connecticut lobster roll: cold with mayo or warm with butter
• New York or Chicago pizza: the real differences and how to vote

More in the US food guides and the ranked lists of places.