To Texans, fish fry is elemental. Succulent, savory, perfumed with smoke and spice, it transcends the time period "comfort food." it is downright heavenly, and it is also a employees of Texas lifestyles. Like a dirt typhoon or a downpour, fish fry is a strength of Texas nature, a stalwart tie to the state's cultural and culinary background. even though the observe is frequently shortened to "BBQ," the culture of fish fry stands Texas-tall.Photographer Wyatt McSpadden has spent a few two decades documenting barbecue—specifically, the genuine family-owned cafes which are small-town mainstays. touring tens of hundreds of thousands of miles, McSpadden has crisscrossed the nation to go to rankings of barbeque purveyors, from fabled websites like Kreuz's in Lockhart to distant spots just like the Lazy H Smokehouse in Kirbyville. colour or black-and-white, large perspective or pack up, his photographs show the culture and beauty of fish fry. they permit the viewer to adventure every one position via all 5 senses. The pictures of cooking meat and spiraling smoke make style and odor virtually tangible. McSpadden additionally captures the shabby attraction of the joints themselves, from large, concrete-floored eating halls to tiny, un-air-conditioned shacks. such a lot of all, McSpadden conveys the primal physicality of barbecue—the warmth of fireplace, the heft of meat, the slickness of juices—and additionally documents ubiquitous touches comparable to historic scarred carving blocks, torn display doorways and peeling linoleum, and toothpicks in a recycled pepper sauce jar.