When The Takeout set out to identify the signature sandwich of every U.S. state, Alabama's entry might have surprised readers, who were expecting pork or ribs. Instead, the spotlight fell on a pulled chicken sandwich dripping in tangy white barbecue sauce —a smoky, creamy and vinegar-kissed bite that breaks all the Southern BBQ rules.

It may not be the loudest or most famous sandwich in the country, but Alabama's pulled chicken sandwich with white sauce is something more important: a taste of home, history and flavor you'll never forget.

Where did Alabama white sauce originate?

The story of Alabama white sauce starts in 1925 in Decatur, where Big Bob Gibson, a railroad worker turned pitmaster, began serving smoked chicken topped with his homemade white sauce. Their sauce, sold in

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