As each wave of immigrants from different regions of the world landed on these shores, they brought with them their culture and cuisine.

Many of the foods we consider to be American did not, in fact, originate in the Western Hemisphere.

You've heard the saying "as American as apple pie." About that. Variations dated back as far as Chaucer. He was born in England in 1343.

Pizza, beer, burgers, hot dogs: We may eat a boatload, but those junk-food items hail from distant lands.

When it comes down to it, there's really no such thing as American cuisine -- even New American, with its upscale interpretations of classic comfort food, is based on something else from somewhere far away. When you're one of the youngest countries on the block, it's hard to find anything that is culturally 100 percent ours.

But some things we made more our own than others. Barbecue is one.

Though there are so many regional variations -- beef brisket in Texas, pulled pork in North Carolina, whole hog in South Carolina -- in the U.S. of A., one dish reigns supreme: ribs.

Maybe it's a carnal instinct, but we dare you to try to find a barbecue lover anywhere from sea to shining sea who doesn't love ripping the meat off the bone with his teeth.

To celebrate America's birthday, we decided to compile a list of the ten best ribs (traditional and internationally inspired) in Broward and Palm Beach counties. And the winners are...