Bacon

File:Schweinebauch-1.jpg

Before the advent of cheap and widespread artificial refrigeration in the modern era, the curing of meat was necessary for its safe long-term preservation. However, both the flavour imparted to the meat in doing so and the extended shelf life it offered had become much prized, and although curing is in general no longer necessary in the developed world, it continues in wide use.

Bacon is cured through either a process of injecting it with or soaking it in brine, known as wet curing, or rubbed with salt, known as dry curing.{{cite web | url=http://www.jameswhelanbutchers.com/info/meat-information/bacon-cuts/ | title=Bacon Cuts | publisher=James Whelan Butchers | access-date=3 January 2014}} Bacon brine has added curing ingredients, most notably nitrites or nitrates, which speed the curing and stabilise colour. Cured bacon may then be dried for weeks or months in cold air, or it may be smoked or boiled. Fresh and dried bacon are typically cooked before eating, often by pan frying. Boiled bacon is ready-to-eat, as is some smoked bacon, but they may be cooked further before eating. Differing flavours can be achieved by using various types of wood, or less common fuels such as corn cobs or peat. This process can take up to eighteen hours, depending on the intensity of the flavour desired. The Virginia Housewife (1824), thought to be one of the earliest American cookbooks, gives no indication that bacon is ever not smoked, though it gives no advice on flavouring, noting only that care should be taken lest the fire get too hot.{{cite book

| last = Randolph

| first = Mary

|author2= Karen Hess

| title = The Virginia Housewife

| publisher = University of South Carolina Press

| year = 1984

| pages = 18–19

| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=oszKiYe2RyAC

| isbn = 978-0-87249-423-7

}}

Bacon is distinguished from other salt-cured pork by differences in the cuts of meat used and in the brine or dry packing. Historically, the terms ham and bacon referred to different cuts of meat that were brined or packed identically, often together in the same barrel. Today, ham is defined as coming from the hind portion of the pig and brine specifically for curing ham includes a greater amount of sugar, while bacon is less sweet, though ingredients such as brown sugar or maple syrup are used for flavour. Bacon is similar to salt pork, which in modern times is often prepared from similar cuts, but salt pork is never smoked, and has a much higher salt content.

For safety, bacon may be treated to prevent trichinosis,{{cite web |title=USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service: Glossary B |publisher=Food Safety and Inspection Service |url=https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/food-safety-education/get-answers/food-safety-fact-sheets/meat-preparation/bacon-and-food-safety/ct_index |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090503200749/http://www.fsis.usda.gov/help/glossary-B/index.asp |archive-date=3 May 2009|access-date=5 May 2009 |url-status=live }} caused by Trichinella, a parasitic roundworm which can be destroyed by heating, freezing, drying, or smoking.{{cite book|last1=Hui|first1=Yiu H.|last2=Bruinsma|first2=L. Bernard|last3=Gorham|first3=J. Richard|title=Food Plant Sanitation|publisher=CRC Press|year=2002|page=605|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5oIO2hzQD6wC|access-date=5 May 2009|isbn=978-0-8247-0793-4}} Sodium polyphosphates, such as sodium triphosphate, may also be added to make the product easier to slice and to reduce spattering when the bacon is pan-fried.

Bacon type differs depending on the primal cut of pork from which it is prepared,{{cite web | url=http://thebaconpage.com/bacon-varieties/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140903150357/http://thebaconpage.com/bacon-varieties/ | url-status=dead | archive-date=3 September 2014 | title=Bacon Varieties | publisher=The Bacon Page | access-date=9 February 2014}} which reflects local preference.

File:RawBacon.JPG

• Side bacon, sometimes known as "streaky bacon", comes from the pork belly. It has long alternating layers of fat and muscle running parallel to the rind.{{cite web | url=http://www.kiwibacon.co.nz/all-about-bacon | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222061525/http://www.kiwibacon.co.nz/all-about-bacon | archive-date=22 February 2014 | title=Kiwi Bacon – All about bacon | publisher=Kiwi Bacon | access-date=8 February 2014}} This is the most common form of bacon in the United States.
• Pancetta is an Italian form of side bacon, sold smoked or unsmoked (aqua). It is generally rolled up into cylinders after curing. Pancetta is known for having a strong flavour, and is often used as an ingredient in pasta dishes such as Carbonara.

File:Bacon.JPG

• Back bacon contains meat from the loin in the middle of the back of the pig.{{cite web | url=https://englishbreakfastsociety.com/back-bacon.html | title=A Guide To Traditional British Back Bacon | publisher=The English Breakfast Society | date=4 January 2014 | access-date=8 February 2014}} It is a leaner cut, with less fat compared to side bacon. Most bacon consumed in the United Kingdom and Ireland is back bacon.{{Cite web

|publisher=Danish Bacon & Meat Council

|url=http://www.dbmc.co.uk/downloads/DBMC_Info-stats_2005.pdf

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060130095012/http://www.dbmc.co.uk/downloads/DBMC_Info-stats_2005.pdf

|title=Information and Statistics 2005

|date=30 March 2005

|archive-date=30 January 2006

}}

• Collar bacon is taken from the back of a pig near the head.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/glossary/c.shtml?collar |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060523031524/http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/glossary/c.shtml?collar |title=Food – Glossary – 'C' – 'Collar' |publisher=BBC|access-date=2 January 2014 |archive-date=23 May 2006}}
• Cottage bacon is made from the lean meat from a boneless pork shoulder that is typically tied into an oval shape.

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• Jowl bacon is cured and smoked cheeks of pork.{{cite web|url=https://www.zingermans.com/Product.aspx?ProductID=M-JWL |title=Jowl Bacon |publisher=Zingerman's |access-date=8 February 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222043536/https://www.zingermans.com/Product.aspx?ProductID=M-JWL |archive-date=22 February 2014 }} Guanciale is an Italian jowl bacon that is seasoned and dry cured but not smoked.

The inclusion of skin with a cut of bacon, known as the "bacon rind",{{cite web | url=https://www.thefreedictionary.com/bacon+rind | title=bacon rind – definition of bacon rind by the Free Online Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia. | publisher=Farlex, Inc. | access-date=8 February 2014}} varies, though is less common in the English-speaking world.

The most common form sold is middle bacon, which includes some of the streaky, fatty section of side bacon along with a portion of the loin of back bacon. In response to increasing consumer diet-consciousness, some supermarkets also offer the loin section only. This is sold as short cut bacon and is usually priced slightly higher than middle bacon. Both varieties are usually available with the rind removed.{{cite web|url=http://www.krcastlemaine.com.au/foodservice/product_info.php?category_id=1&category_name=Bacon|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091001024943/http://www.krcastlemaine.com.au/foodservice/product_info.php?category_id=1&category_name=Bacon |title=Food Service – Bacon |publisher=KR Castlemaine |access-date=2 January 2014 |archive-date=1 October 2009}}

File:Flickr bokchoi-snowpea 4266923676--Roast peameal bacon.jpg, Ontario, Canada]]

In Canada, the term bacon on its own typically refers to side bacon.Canadian Oxford Dictionary, 2nd ed. (2004). Canadian-style back bacon is a lean cut from the eye of the pork loin with little surrounding fat. Peameal bacon is an unsmoked back bacon, wet-cured and coated in fine-ground cornmeal (historically, it was rolled in ground, dried peas); it is popular in southern Ontario. Bacon is often eaten in breakfasts, such as with cooked eggs or pancakes. Maple syrup is often used as a flavouring while curing bacon in Canada.

File:Speck-1.jpg

Some of the meanings of bacon overlap with the German-language term Speck. Germans use the term bacon explicitly for {{Lang|de|Frühstücksspeck}} ('breakfast {{Lang|de|Speck}}') which are cured or smoked pork slices. Traditional German cold cuts favour ham over bacon; however, {{Lang|de|Wammerl}} (grilled pork belly) remains popular in Bavaria.

Small bacon cubes (called {{Lang|de|Grieben}} or {{Lang|de|Grammerln}} in Austria and southern Germany) have been a rather important ingredient of various southern German dishes. They are used for adding flavour to soups and salads and for Speck dumplings and various noodle and potato dishes. Instead of preparing them at home from larger slices, they have been sold ready made as convenience foods recently as {{Lang|de|Baconwürfel}} ("bacon cubes") in German retail stores.

In Japan, bacon ({{Lang|ja|ベーコン}}){{cite web | url=https://japanese.english-dictionary.help/english-to-japanese-meaning-bacon | title=Japanese Meaning or Translation of – 'bacon' | publisher=Bdword | access-date=9 February 2014}} is pronounced {{Lang|ja-latn|bēkon}}. It is cured and smoked belly meat as in the US, and is sold in either regular or half-length sizes. Bacon in Japan is different from that in the US in that the meat is not sold raw, but is processed, precooked and has a ham-like consistency when cooked.{{cite web |url=http://www.itoham.co.jp/product/dtl/00000022/ |title=伊藤ハム | 商品情報 | |publisher=Itoham.co.jp |access-date=2 January 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140102191041/http://www.itoham.co.jp/product/dtl/00000022/ |archive-date=2 January 2014 |url-status=dead }} Uncured, sliced pork belly, known as {{Lang|ja-latn|bara}} ({{Lang|ja|バラ}}), is very popular in Japan and is used in a variety of dishes (e.g. yakitori and yakiniku).

Back bacon is the most common form in Great Britain and Ireland, and is the usual meaning of the plain term bacon. A thin slice of bacon is known as a rasher; about 70% of bacon is sold as rashers.{{cite news|title=How to make the perfect full English breakfast|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/11029015/How-to-make-the-perfect-full-English-breakfast.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/11029015/How-to-make-the-perfect-full-English-breakfast.html |archive-date=11 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|date=25 June 2015}}{{cbignore}} Heavily trimmed back cuts which consist of just the eye of meat, known as a medallion, are also available. All types may be unsmoked or smoked. The side cut normal in America is known as "streaky bacon",[https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-full-english-breakfast-hops-the-pond-1444080283 "The Full English Breakfast Hops the Pond"]. Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 21 February 2018 and there is also a long cut, curving round on itself, known as "middle bacon", which is back bacon at one end, and streaky at the other, as well as less common cuts.[https://www.puddledub.co.uk/blog/latest-news/whats-the-difference-between-the-different-bacon-cuts "What's the difference between the different bacon cuts?"], 14 July 2017, www.puddledub.co.uk/blog. Bacon is also sold and served as joints, usually boiled, broiled or roast,[https://wiltshirebacon.com/what-are-bacon-joints/ "What are Bacon Joints?"], Wiltshire Bacon Co. or in thicker slices called chops or steaks. These are usually eaten as part of other meals.

Bacon may be cured in several ways, and may be smoked or unsmoked; unsmoked bacon is known as "green bacon". Fried or grilled bacon rashers are included in the "traditional" full breakfast. Hot bacon sandwiches are a popular cafe dish throughout the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland,{{cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2012/mar/08/how-to-cook-perfect-bacon-sandwiches | title=How to cook the perfect bacon sandwich | work=The Guardian | date=7 March 2012 | access-date=15 January 2015 | author=Cloake, Felicity}} and are anecdotally recommended as a hangover cure.{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/5118283/Bacon-sandwich-really-does-cure-a-hangover.html|title=Bacon sandwich really does cure a hangover|date=7 April 2009|work=The Daily Telegraph|access-date=7 February 2019 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100107032547/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/5118283/Bacon-sandwich-really-does-cure-a-hangover.html | archive-date = 7 January 2010}}

Bacon is often served with eggs and sausages as part of a full English breakfast.{{cite web | url=https://www.englishbreakfastsociety.com/full-english-breakfast.html | title=The Full English Breakfast | publisher=English Breakfast Society | work=4 January 2014 | access-date=8 February 2014 | archive-date=25 January 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140125193916/http://englishbreakfastsociety.com/full-english-breakfast.html | url-status=dead }}

The term bacon on its own generally refers to side bacon, which is the most popular type of bacon sold in the US. Back bacon is known as "Canadian bacon" or "Canadian-style bacon", and is usually sold pre-cooked and thick-sliced.{{Cite web |title=Canadian Bacon - Kitchen Dictionary - Food.com |url=https://www.food.com/about/canadian-bacon-601 |access-date=20 June 2023 |website=www.food.com}}{{cite web|url=https://www.thekitchn.com/whats-the-difference-between-canadian-bacon-or-irish-or-english-and-american-bacon-ingredient-intelligence-166956|title=What's the Difference Between Canadian Bacon (or Irish, or English) and American?|first=Emma|last=Christensen|website=thekitchen.com|date=7 October 2020|access-date=14 September 2021}} American bacons include varieties smoked with hickory, mesquite or applewood and flavourings such as maple, brown sugar, honey, or molasses.R. W. Apple Jr. [https://www.nytimes.com/2000/02/16/style/the-smoky-trail-to-a-great-bacon.html?pagewanted=all The Smoky Trail To a Great Bacon] 16 February 2000 The New York Times A side of unsliced bacon is known as "slab bacon".{{cite web | url=http://www.bacontoday.com/whiskey-maple-glazed-slab-bacon/ | title=Whiskey Maple Glazed Slab Bacon | work=Bacon Today | access-date=9 February 2014 | author=Hog, Boss | date=19 April 2013 | url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222063416/http://bacontoday.com/whiskey-maple-glazed-slab-bacon/ | archive-date=22 February 2014}}

USDA regulations only recognise bacon as "cured" if it has been treated with synthetic nitrites or nitrates (e.g. sodium nitrate or potassium nitrate). This means that bacon cured with nitrites derived from celery or beets (which has the same chemical outcome) must be labelled "uncured" and include a notice such as "no nitrates or nitrites added except for that naturally occurring in celery". There is also bacon for sale uncured with any nitrites from any sources.{{Cite news |last=Haspel |first=Tamar |date=2019-04-23 |title= The 'uncured' bacon illusion: It's actually cured, and it's not better for you. |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/food/the-uncured-bacon-illusion-its-actually-cured-and-its-not-better-for-you/2019/04/19/0c89630c-608c-11e9-9ff2-abc984dc9eec_story.html |work=Washington Post |language=en-US |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20230813065606/https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/food/the-uncured-bacon-illusion-its-actually-cured-and-its-not-better-for-you/2019/04/19/0c89630c-608c-11e9-9ff2-abc984dc9eec_story.html |archive-date= Aug 13, 2023 }}

Salted pork belly first appeared in China.{{Citation needed|reason=I've seen this and the ramifications of this debated heavily online. It would be good to attach a reputable source.|date=December 2024}} In Middle English the term {{Lang|enm|bacon}} or {{Lang|enm|bacoun}} referred to all pork in general.{{cite web |title=A Short History of Bacon |url=https://www.thespruceeats.com/history-of-bacon-1807563 |first1=Peggy |last1=Trowbridge Filippone |date=July 23, 2021 |website=The Spruce Eats |access-date=16 January 2022}} Before the Industrial Revolution, bacon was generally produced on local farms and in domestic kitchens. In the 1770s, John Harris opened the world's first commercial bacon processing plant in Calne, Wiltshire.{{cite web |title=The History of Bacon |url=https://englishbreakfastsociety.com/history-of-bacon.html |first1= Guise |last1=Bule |website=English Breakfast Society |access-date=16 January 2022}}

{{Main|Bacon mania}}

File:ChocolateCoveredBaconStick.jpg

The United States and Canada have seen an increase in the popularity of bacon and bacon-related recipes, dubbed "bacon mania". The sale of bacon in the US has increased significantly since 2011.{{Needs updating|date=March 2025}} Sales climbed 9.5% in 2013, making it an all-time high of nearly $4 billion in US. In a survey conducted by Smithfield, 65% of Americans would support bacon as their "national food".{{cite news|last=Passy|first=Charles|title=Bacon sales sizzle to all-time high|url=https://www.marketwatch.com/story/bacon-sales-sizzle-to-all-time-high-2014-02-11 |access-date=11 February 2014|newspaper=Market Watch|date=11 February 2014}} Dishes such as bacon explosion, chicken fried bacon, and chocolate-covered bacon have been popularised over the Internet,{{Cite press release

|title=Get Your BBQ On: Bacon-Infused Webinar Sheds Light on Social Media Marketing Viral Marketing Sensation BBQ Addicts Join Marketbright for a Free Webinar on Marketing 2.0

|date=24 March 2009

|url=http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Marketbright-965147.html

|publisher=Marketwire

| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090426232536/http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Marketbright-965147.html

| archive-date= 26 April 2009 }} as has the use of candied bacon. Recipes spread quickly through both countries' national media, culinary blogs, and YouTube.{{cite news| last = Cook| first = Alison| title = It's a 'we love bacon' world: We're just lucky to be living—and dining—in it| work = Houston Chronicle| date = 5 March 2009| url = https://www.chron.com/entertainment/article/It-s-a-we-love-bacon-world-1749574.php}}{{cite news | title = Candied Bacon Martini | work = Los Angeles Times | url = https://latimes.com/features/food/la-fow-baconrec3d-2008dec03,0,7141243.story}} Celebrity chef Bobby Flay has endorsed a "Bacon of the Month" club online, in print,{{cite web| title = Bacon of the Month Club| publisher = The Grateful Palate | url = http://www.gratefulpalate.com/?p=Category_11 | access-date = 15 March 2009|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090322001006/http://www.gratefulpalate.com/?p=Category_11|archive-date= 22 March 2009| url-status= live}} and on national television.{{cite news | url = https://www.cbsnews.com/news/food-gifts-that-keep-on-giving/ | title = Food Gifts That Keep on Giving: From Utensils To Treats, Bobby Flay Likes To Give (Or Receive) These Presents | publisher = CBS News | date = 13 December 2007| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090508005638/http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/12/12/earlyshow/living/recipes/main3612797.shtml| archive-date= 8 May 2009 | url-status= live}} Everything Tastes Better with Bacon, a 2002 book by Sara Perry, is a cookbook in which all dishes contain bacon.{{cite news | last = Crooks | first = Laura | title = Let bacon add a little sizzle to your meal | url=http://www.spokesmanreview.com/news-story.asp?ID=s1194156&date=080702 |work = The Spokesman-Review | publisher = Cowles Publishing Company | page = D1 | date = 7 August 2002 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20020906192443/http://www.spokesmanreview.com/news-story.asp?ID=s1194156&date=080702 | archive-date = 6 September 2002}}

Commentators explain this surging interest in bacon by reference to what they deem American cultural characteristics. Sarah Hepola, in a 2008 article in Salon.com, suggests a number of reasons, one of them being that eating bacon in the modern, health-conscious world is an act of rebellion: "Loving bacon is like shoving a middle finger in the face of all that is healthy and holy while an unfiltered cigarette smoulders between your lips."{{cite news | last = Hepola | first = Sarah | title = Bacon mania: Why are Americans so batty for bacon? It's delicious, it's decadent – and it's also a fashion statement. | work = Salon.com | date = 7 July 2008| url = https://www.salon.com/2008/07/07/bacon_mania/}} She also suggests bacon is sexy (with a reference to Sarah Katherine Lewis' book Sex and Bacon), kitsch, and funny. Hepola concludes by saying "bacon is America".

Alison Cook, writing in the Houston Chronicle, argues the case of bacon's American citizenship by referring to historical and geographical uses of bacon. Early American literature echoes the sentiment—in Ebenezer Cooke's 1708 poem The Sot-Weed Factor, a satire of life in early colonial America, the narrator already complains that practically all the food in America was bacon-infused.{{cite web |last=Kay |first=Arthur |title=Ebenezer Cooke: The Sot-Weed Factor |publisher=Renascence editions |year=1998 |url=http://www.uoregon.edu/~rbear/sotweed.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080509183553/http://uoregon.edu/~rbear/sotweed.htm |archive-date=9 May 2008 }}

As of December 2016, the U.S. national frozen pork belly inventory totaled {{convert|17.8|e6lb|e6kg|abbr=unit}}, the lowest level in 50 years.{{Cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2017/02/01/nations-bacon-reserves-hit-50-year-low-prices-rise/97327794/|title=Nation's bacon reserves hit 50-year low as prices rise|newspaper=USA Today|language=en|access-date=1 February 2017}}

{{Main|List of bacon dishes}}

File:Mmm... BLT for me! (5487341380).jpg sandwich]]

Bacon dishes include bacon and eggs, bacon, lettuce, and tomato (BLT) sandwiches, Cobb salad, and various bacon-wrapped foods, such as scallops, shrimp,{{cite book

| last = Siegel

| first = Helene

| title = Totally Shrimp Cookbook

| publisher = Celestial Arts

| year = 1997

| page = [https://archive.org/details/totallyshrimpcoo00sieg/page/11 11]

| url = https://archive.org/details/totallyshrimpcoo00sieg

| url-access = registration

| isbn = 978-0-89087-823-1

}}{{cite book

| last = Wise

| first = Jane E.

| title = The Culinary Guide for MSPI

| publisher = Milk Soy Protein Intolerance

| year = 2005

| page = 7

| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=y9kGvqze_g0C

| isbn = 978-0-9764023-0-5}}{{cite news

| last = Daley

| first = Bill

| title = Chengdu Cuisine of China

| page = 10

| newspaper = Hartford Courant

| date = 11 March 2001

| url = https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/courant/access/69611894.html?dids=69611894:69611894&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Mar+11%2C+2001&author=Bill+Daley&pub=Hartford+Courant&desc=CHENGDU+CUISINE+OF+CHINA+*+*+*&pqatl=google

| access-date = 5 July 2017

| archive-date = 30 May 2013

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130530083850/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/courant/access/69611894.html?dids=69611894:69611894&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Mar+11%2C+2001&author=Bill+Daley&pub=Hartford+Courant&desc=CHENGDU+CUISINE+OF+CHINA+*+*+*&pqatl=google

| url-status = dead

}} and asparagus. Recently invented bacon dishes include chicken fried bacon, chocolate covered bacon, bacon jerky, bacon ice cream and the bacon explosion. Tatws Pum Munud is a traditional Welsh stew, made with sliced potatoes, vegetables and smoked bacon. Bacon jam and bacon marmalade are also commercially available.

Streaky bacon is more commonly used as a topping in the US on such items as pizza, salads, sandwiches, hamburgers, baked potatoes, hot dogs, and soups. In the US, sliced smoked back bacon is used less frequently than the streaky variety, but can sometimes be found on pizza, salads, and omelettes.

Bacon is also used as an accent in dishes, such as bacon-topped meatloaf,{{cite web |url=http://www.wkrg.com/recipes/recipe/bacon_wrapped_meatloaf/12659/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080610055615/http://www.wkrg.com/recipes/recipe/bacon_wrapped_meatloaf/12659/ |title=Recipe Bacon wrapped meatloaf |publisher=WKRG Mobile, Alabama |access-date= 2 January 2014 |date=10 April 2008 |archive-date=10 June 2008}} sautéed crisp and crumbled into green beans,{{cite web |url=http://www.wkrg.com/recipes/recipe/green_beans_with_bacon/16339/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090710030207/http://www.wkrg.com/recipes/recipe/green_beans_with_bacon/16339/ |title=Recipe Green Beans with Bacon |publisher=WKRG Mobile, Alabama |date=28 July 2008 |access-date=2 January 2014 |archive-date=10 July 2009}} or as a crumble in a salad.

Bacon bits are crumbled bacon in condiment form, typically commercially prepared and preserved for long shelf life.

File:Flickr - cyclonebill - Bacon (1).jpg

Bacon fat liquefies and becomes drippings when it is heated. Once cool, it firms into a form of lard. Bacon fat is flavourful and is used for various cooking purposes. Traditionally, bacon grease is saved in British and southern US cuisine, and used as a base for cooking and as an all-purpose flavouring, for everything from gravy to cornbread{{Cite book | title=The Joy of Cooking | contribution=Pan Gravy | first1=Irma | last1=Rombauer | first2= Marion | last2 = Rombauer Becker| author-link = Irma S. Rombauer | publisher=Bobbs-Merrill Company | year=1964 | page = 322 | isbn = 978-0-02-604570-4 | title-link=The Joy of Cooking }} to salad dressing.{{cite web |first=Alton |last=Brown |title=Bacon Vinaigrette with Grilled Radicchio |url=http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_17619,00.html |access-date=13 January 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080213015556/http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0%2C1977%2CFOOD_9936_17619%2C00.html |archive-date=13 February 2008 |url-status=dead }}

File:Griebenschmalz-1.jpg used as spread]]

In Germany, {{Lang|de|Griebenschmalz}} is a popular spread made from bacon lard.

Bacon is often used for a cooking technique called barding consisting of laying or wrapping strips of bacon or other fats over a roast to provide additional fat to a lean piece of meat. It is often used for roast game birds, and is a traditional method of preparing beef filet mignon, which is wrapped in strips of bacon before cooking. The bacon itself may afterwards be discarded or served to eat, like cracklings. It may also be cut into lardons.

One teaspoon ({{convert|4|g|disp=or|abbr=on}}) of bacon grease has 38 calories (40 kJ/g). It is composed almost completely of fat, with very little additional nutritional value. Bacon fat is roughly 40% saturated.{{cite web

| title=Nutritional Summary for Animal fat, bacon grease

| url=https://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/fats-and-oils/7186/2

| access-date=5 May 2009

| publisher=nutritiondata.com

}} Despite the likely health risks of excessive bacon grease consumption, it remains popular in the cuisine of the American South.{{cite web | url=https://www.springhouseatcrossroads.com/from-the-chef-balance-essential-to-southern-food-not-just-bacon-drippings.html | title=From the Chef: Balance Essential to Southern Food, not just Bacon Drippings | publisher=SpringHouse at Crossroads | access-date=9 February 2014 | author=McDaniel, Rob | archive-date=25 December 2019 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191225124943/https://www.springhouseatcrossroads.com/from-the-chef-balance-essential-to-southern-food-not-just-bacon-drippings.html | url-status=dead }}

One 10 g slice of cooked side bacon contains 4.5 g of fat, 3.0 g of protein, and 205 mg of sodium.{{cite web|url=https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/45051934?fgcd=&manu=&format=&count=&max=25&offset=&sort=default&order=asc&qlookup=REGULAR+CUT+BACON%2C+UPC%3A+041497068784&ds=&qt=&qp=&qa=&qn=&q=&ing=|publisher=United States Department of Agriculture|title=USDA Branded Food Products Database – Thick Cut Bacon|access-date=29 March 2019}}{{dead link|date=October 2022|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} The fat, protein, and sodium content varies depending on the cut and cooking method.

68% of the food energy of bacon comes from fat, almost half of which is saturated.{{cite web | url=https://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/can-bacon-be-part-of-a-healthy-diet | title=Can Bacon Be Part of a Healthy Diet? | website=WebMD | access-date=5 January 2014 | author=Magee, Elaine |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140122141536/https://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/can-bacon-be-part-of-a-healthy-diet |archive-date= 22 January 2014 }} A serving of three slices of bacon contains 30 milligrams of cholesterol (0.1%).{{cite news | url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/bacon-facts_n_4241592 | title=9 Unfortunate Truths About Juicy, Scrumptious Bacon | work=The Huffington Post | date=12 November 2013| author=Jacques, Renee |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230719135148/https://www.huffpost.com/entry/bacon-facts_n_4241592 |archive-date= 19 July 2023 }}

{{See also|Dietary recommendations for saturated fat|Health effects of salt}}

Studies have consistently found the consumption of processed meat to be linked to increased mortality, and to an increased risk of developing a number of serious health conditions including cancer, cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.{{cite journal |vauthors=Rohrmann S, Linseisen J |title=Processed meat: the real villain? |journal=Proc Nutr Soc |volume=75 |issue=3 |pages=233–41 |date=August 2016 |pmid=26621069 |doi=10.1017/S0029665115004255 |url=https://www.zora.uzh.ch/id/eprint/133574/1/div-class-title-processed-meat-the-real-villain-div.pdf |type=Review|doi-access=free }}{{cite journal |vauthors=Wolk A |title=Potential health hazards of eating red meat |journal=J. Intern. Med. |volume=281 |issue=2 |pages=106–122 |date=February 2017 |pmid=27597529 |doi=10.1111/joim.12543 |s2cid=24130100 |type=Review|doi-access=free |s2cid-access=free }} As bacon is very high in salt, it comes with all the negative health effects associated with high salt intake.{{Cite web |title=Astonishing amounts of salt in bacon exposed |date= 31 January 2020 |url=https://www.bloodpressureuk.org/news/news/astonishing-amounts-of-salt-in-bacon-exposed.html |access-date=19 April 2024 |website=Blood Pressure UK }}

Bacon can contain nitrites, which can form carcinogenic nitroso-compounds such as S-Nitrosothiols, nitrosyl-heme and nitrosamines. In the United States, sodium nitrite cannot exceed certain levels in bacon. Vitamin C (ascorbate) or sodium erythorbate can be added to bacon, which greatly reduces the formation of nitrosamines but has no effect on S-Nitrosothiols and nitrosyl-heme.{{Cite book|url=https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/bk-1994-0553|doi=10.1021/bk-1994-0553|title=Nitrosamines and RelatedN-Nitroso Compounds|series=ACS Symposium Series|year=1994|volume=553|publisher=American Chemical Society |isbn=0-8412-2856-6}} Vitamin E (tocopherol) also reduces nitrosamine levels. Bacon fried at higher temperatures potentially has more nitrosamines than bacon fried at lower temperatures.{{cite web |title=Bacon and Food Safety |url=https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/food-safety-education/get-answers/food-safety-fact-sheets/meat-preparation/bacon-and-food-safety/ct_index |website=usda.gov |access-date=18 October 2020}}

According to the World Health Organization in 2015, regular consumption of processed meats such as bacon increases the likelihood of developing colorectal cancers by 18%.{{cite news|title=Processed meats do cause cancer – WHO|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/health-34615621|access-date=27 October 2015|work=BBC News|date=26 October 2015|last1=Gallagher|first1=James}}{{cite journal |vauthors=Bouvard V, Loomis D, Guyton KZ, Grosse Y, El Ghissassi F, Benbrahim-Tallaa L, Guha N, Mattock H, Straif K |display-authors=3 |date=December 2015 |title=Carcinogenicity of consumption of red and processed meat |url=https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanonc/article/PIIS1470-2045(15)00444-1/fulltext |journal=The Lancet Oncology |volume=16 |issue=16 |pages=1599–1600 |doi=10.1016/S1470-2045(15)00444-1 |pmid=26514947 |url-access=registration |access-date=2024-10-13}}

Several alternatives to and substitutes for bacon have been developed for those who cannot or prefer not to eat standard pork bacon, including beef, chicken, turkey, bison, soy, and coconut bacon.

{{Main|Turkey bacon}}

File:Turkey bacon cooking in skillet.jpg

Turkey bacon is consumed by some as an alternative to pork bacon for health benefits, religious laws, or other concerns.{{cite news|url=https://www.sfgate.com/food/article/Taster-s-Choice-One-turkey-bacon-stands-out-in-3264953.php |title=One turkey bacon stands out in the flock|last=Gold|first=Amanda|date=22 October 2008|work=San Francisco Chronicle|access-date=13 May 2009}} It is lower in fat and food energy than bacon, but is used similarly.

The meat for turkey bacon comes from the whole turkey, which is chopped and reformed into strips to resemble bacon, and can be cured or uncured, or smoked. Turkey bacon is cooked by pan-frying. Cured turkey bacon made from dark meat can be less than 10% fat. The low fat content of turkey bacon means it does not shrink while being cooked and has a tendency to stick to the pan.{{cite news|url=https://www.deseretnews.com/article/143275/TURKEY-BACON-WINS-SUPPORT-AS-GOOD-MEAT-AT-BREAKFAST.html?pg=all |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140223200636/http://www.deseretnews.com/article/143275/TURKEY-BACON-WINS-SUPPORT-AS-GOOD-MEAT-AT-BREAKFAST.html?pg=all |url-status=dead |archive-date=23 February 2014 |title=Turkey Bacon Wins Support as Good Meat at Breakfast|date= 23 January 1991|work=Deseret News}}

{{Main|Macon (food)}}

"Macon" is produced by curing cuts of mutton in a manner similar to the production of pork bacon.{{cite book|last=Shephard|first=Sue|title=Pickled, Potted, and Canned: How the Art and Science of Food Preserving Changed the World|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pNxLRqSreGkC&pg=PA73|year=2006|publisher=Simon and Schuster|isbn=978-0-7432-5553-0|page=73}} Historically produced in Scotland, it was introduced across Britain during World War II as a consequence of rationing.{{Cite magazine|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,789657-5,00.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121025225400/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,789657-5,00.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=25 October 2012|title=Grand Strategy: Half-Year Mark |magazine=Time |date= 11 March 1940}} Footnote in Time magazine mentions wartime use.{{Cite web|url=https://orwelldiaries.wordpress.com/2010/01/23/23-1-40/|title=23.1.40|date=23 January 2010}} It is today available as an alternative to bacon, produced for the Muslim market and sold at halal butchers; it is largely similar in appearance to pork bacon except for the darker colour.{{cite web|last1=Booley|first1=Ashraf|title=Macon: Bacon's Underrated Cousin|url=http://www.tastemag.co.za/Hottopics-1504/Macon-bacons-underrated-cousin.aspx|website=Woolworth's Taste|access-date=2 March 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141128013007/http://www.tastemag.co.za/HotTopics-1504/Macon-bacons-underrated-cousin.aspx|archive-date=28 November 2014}}

{{Main|Vegetarian bacon}}

Vegetarian bacon, also referred to as facon, veggie bacon, or vacon, is a vegetarian "bacon" made from plant matter.{{cite web|url=http://www.bacon.co.uk/Vegetarian_Bacon.htm|title=Vegetarian Bacon|access-date=18 June 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120325204034/http://www.bacon.co.uk/Vegetarian_Bacon.htm|archive-date=25 March 2012}} It has no cholesterol, is low in fat, and contains large amounts of protein and fibre. Two slices contain about {{convert|74|kcal|kJ|order=flip}}. Vegetarian bacon is usually made from marinated strips of textured soy protein or tempeh (fermented soybeans).

The popularity of bacon in the United States has given rise to a number of commercial products that promise to add bacon flavouring without the labour involved in cooking it.

File:Bacon bits in a bowl (cropped).jpg

Bacon bits are a frequently used topping on salad or potatoes, and a common element of salad bars. They are usually salted. Bacon bits are made from small, crumbled pieces of bacon; in commercial plants they are cooked in continuous microwave ovens. Similar products are made from ham or turkey, and vegetarian substitutes are made from textured vegetable protein, artificially flavoured to resemble bacon.{{cite web

| title = Textured Vegetable Protein

| publisher = Diversified Foods Inc

| url = http://www.diversifiedfoods.com/DFI_TexturedVegetableProtein_Frame.htm

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080723192124/http://www.diversifiedfoods.com/DFI_TexturedVegetableProtein_Frame.htm

| access-date = 15 March 2009

| archive-date=23 July 2008}}

There is also a wide range of other bacon-flavoured products, including a bacon-flavoured salt (Bacon Salt),{{Cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/WN/story?id=7391205&page=1|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160325212825/https://abcnews.go.com/WN/story?id=7391205&page=1|url-status=dead|archive-date=25 March 2016|title='Bacontrepreneurs' Building Bacon Empire|work=ABC News|author=Neal Karlinsky|date=21 April 2009}} Baconnaise (a bacon-flavoured mayonnaise),{{cite web| title =J & D's – Everything Should Taste Like Bacon| publisher =J & D's| url =http://www.jdfoods.net/products/baconnaise.php| access-date =15 March 2009| archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20090302082653/http://www.jdfoods.net/products/baconnaise.php| archive-date =2 March 2009| url-status =dead}} Bacon Grill (a tinned meat, similar to Spam) and bacon ice cream.

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;Related articles

• {{annotated link|List of smoked foods}}
• {{annotated link|Salo (food)}} – Eastern European salt-cured fatback
• {{annotated link|Samgyeopsal}}
• {{annotated link|Zeeuws spek}}

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;Books

• {{cite book |last1=Pruess |first1=Joanna |last2=Lape |first2=Bob |last3=Cole |first3=Liesa |title=Seduced by Bacon: Recipes & Lore About America’s Favorite Indulgence |year=2006 |location=Guilford, Conn. |publisher=Lyons Press|isbn=9781592288519|oclc=61758638}}
• {{annotated link|Everything Tastes Better with Bacon|Everything Tastes Better with Bacon}}
• {{cite book |last1=Nicholls |first1=George J. |author2=Institute of Certificated Grocers |title=Bacon and Hams |edition=2nd ed., revised |year=1924 |location=London |publisher=Institute of Certificated Grocers|oclc=18696687}}
• {{annotated link|Bacon: A Love Story|Bacon: A Love Story}}
• {{annotated link|The Bacon Cookbook|The Bacon Cookbook}}
• {{annotated link|The BLT Cookbook|The BLT Cookbook}}
• {{annotated link|I Love Bacon!|I Love Bacon!}}

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{{reflist|30em}}

{{refbegin}}

• {{cite Encyclopedia

| last = Anderson

| first = H. J.

| title = Bacon Production

| editor-last1 = Dikeman

| editor-first1 = M.

| editor-last2 = Devine

| editor-first2 = Carrick

| editor-last3 = Jensen

| editor-first3=Werner K

| year = 2004

| publisher = Academic Press

| isbn = 0080924441

| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=srgvtq14f1AC&pg=PT181

| oclc=56945934

|lccn=2003107672

| location =Oxford

| encyclopedia = Encyclopedia of Meat Sciences

}}

{{refend}}

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Category:Breakfast dishes