IN MOST AREAS of the country, the term “barbecue sauce” means a sauce modeled after the Kansas City–style version: thick, sweet, smoky, and dark. A tomato product such as ketchup is the base; it has spices such as garlic or onion powder; and it’s sweetened with molasses, brown sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, or a mix of all three.
Despite having a fewvariety, we rounded up a number of sauces made by famous Kansas City institutions as well as large national brands.
