Today’s Spotlight is on Bacon.

Bacon is a type of salt-cured pork made from various cuts, typically the belly or less fatty parts of the back It has a rich, savory taste and a satisfyingly crispy texture when cooked. . It is eaten as a side dish, used as a central ingredient, or as a flavoring or accent.

Bacon is eaten as a:

• Side dish, particularly in breakfasts
• Central ingredient, such as in the bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwich (BLT)
• Flavoring or accent, such as in bacon bits in a salad

Bacon is made by:

• Removing the spareribs
• Curing, either dry or in pickle
• Smoking

Bacon is high in protein with 12 grams per serving. Bacon is made all over the world and includes Pork, Turkey, Beef, Vegetarian options. Some varieties of bacon, notably Canadian bacon, are cut from the loin portion of the pork, which is leaner.

 

History

Bacon is one of the oldest processed meats. It dates back to 1500 BC when the Chinese began curing pork bellies with salt.  The Chinese domesticated pigs in 4900 BC and were raising them in Europe by 1500 BC.  The salting and curing process spread throughout the Roman Empire.

Here are some other milestones in the history of bacon:

• 1493: Columbus brings the first pigs to the New World.
• 1660s: The British in Yorkshire and Tamworth breed pigs specifically for bacon.
• 1708: Poet Ebenezer Cook complains that almost every food in the American colonies contains bacon.
• 1770: John Harris introduces mass-produced, wet-cured bacon.

Bacon was a staple meat for European peasants for many centuries. It was the first meat to become an important international trade commodity.

 

Here are some fun facts about bacon:

• The word “bacon” means “meat from the back of an animal”.
• The Romans called bacon “petaso”.
• The first recorded death by bacon was in 1543 when Elizabeth Browne was crushed by four sides of uncooked bacon.
• During World War II, the U.S. government urged citizens to donate their excess bacon fat to the army. The fat was used to make glycerin, which was used to make bombs.
• Oscar Meyer created a dating app called Sizzl to help bacon lovers find each other.
• Denmark ranks #1 in bacon consumption per capita.

 

Celebrating Bacon

Denmark ranks first in bacon consumption per capita. The United States also eats a lot of bacon, producing over 2 billion pounds annually. The average American eats about 18 pounds of bacon per year, which accounts for 18% of all pork consumption.

The southern part of the United States consumes the most bacon, with over 600 million pounds annually. Nebraska is the most bacon-centric state, with a consumption rate that’s 132% above the national average. West Virginia, Iowa, and Colorado are also among the top bacon-loving states.

In the United Kingdom, citizens enjoy “rasher,” which is air-cured bacon from the animal’s loin. American bacon is usually served in crispy strips, while rasher comes in chewy, thick, round pieces.

 

Celebrating Bacon

National Bacon Day is celebrated on December 30. It was created in 1997 by Danya “D” Goodman and Meff “Human Cannonball” Leonard. They wanted a common holiday in December to bond over. International Bacon Day is celebrated on the first Saturday in September. It was created in 2004 by a group of graduate students at CU Boulder.

Here are some ways to celebrate Bacon Day:

• Host a bacon-everything breakfast.
• Experiment with bacon in a new recipe.
• Cook different types of bacon and have a bacon tasting party.
• Read the works of 17th-century English philosopher Francis Bacon.