Bacon and Humanity - A Love Story

BACON and HUMANITY A LOVE STORY YOUR GUIDE TO THE WORLD'S FAVOURITE PORKY MORSEL The humble pig has been front-and-centre of a furious debate regarding its tastiest parts for countless decades. Sausages have plenty of fans, while gammon sends many hearts a-fluttering; even the simple pork scratching has a huge following. However, bacon is the cnly porley cut that has its own internationally-celebrated day - and ahead of International Bacon Day 2013 on August 31st, Wren Kitchens is saluting this much-adored meaty morsel. BACON FACT 1 10% BACON OF A PIG IS PURE BACONI 290LB OF PIG OFFERS 20LBS OF BACON. EXPLAINED... As many of us will agree, bacon is generally seen to bethe humble pig's greatest contribution to humankind. This meat, usually cured, combines oneof several cuts of pork with a great amount of salt, through trine or dry packing. From here, all manner of things can happen to it. Often, it's justleft to dry for weeks on end, while others prefer to smoke it. It can even be simply boiled by the more desparate members of society, wantin the salty, piggy taste as soon as possible. Those with more patience will prefer wait, though, by and large, a lengthier preparation makes for a tastier final dish. INTERNATIONAL BACON "LAWS UK, IRELAND & CANDA BACK BACON Back bacon is the foundation of USA STREAKY bacon in the UK, combining pork loin and belly in one cut People in ITALY, SLOVENIA & CROATIA PANCETTA the US refer to itas Canadian or The cheapest cut of bacon in the UK, as well as the fattiest, is by far the most common type of bacon in the US. Belly pork is used to make it - though most Brits would probably prefer to keep beilly pork a cut in its own right. Irich bacon, often with a jealous tone of voice because it's not an American standard cut. Pancetta is perhaps the dosest local cut to bacon in central Europe. While cured in the same way, it often invalves peppercoms, and like its US counterpart ls solely harvested from the belly. BACON FACT #2 75% OF BACON IN THE US IS EATEN AT BREAKFAST BRITISH CONSUMPTION OF BACON We Britons are dedicated to bacon - though you may not realise the extent to which we commit ourselves to our porky compulsion... PORK £1.3BN BRITS LOVE PORK £1.3 BILLION SPENT GRILLED IS BEST 90.4% HOUSEHOLDS Pork is the most popular meat. consumed in UK homes, and bacon accounts for a third of it The UK spends about £1.3 billion on bacon annually - that's over 220,000 tonnes a yearl Nearly balf of all bacon is grilled, while 29 per cent is fried; just twa Our favournite statistic: bacon is consumed by a whópping go.4 per Cent of all British households! per cent is stir-fried THE HISTORY OF BACON 1500BC 200BC BACON IS BORN! ROMAN SALT ALLOWANCES Bacon is invented as the salting and The Romans make their first recordings of preserving of pork bellies begins in China cooks salting the sides of bacon. The foundations of the modern word "salary 55BC come from bacon; the Latin word "salarium" CAESER BRINGS BACON is used to describe salt allowances given to Julius Caesar lands in Britain, Roman soldiers for their bacon. bringing his own bacon. 1300s BRING HOME THE BACON! The phrase "bring home the bacon" is cained. as one shrewd Essex woman offers a side of bacon to any man who can swear to God in church that he has enjoyed a year and a day 1600s BACON = WEALTH Bacon becomes the cheapest source of protein, to the point that peasants display of quarel-free marriage. Many, however, bacon in their house as a sign of wealth argue that it is to do with the ancient (and hilarious) sport of pig-catching at country fairs, where the winner lept the pig and took 1700s it home. MASS BACON PRODUCTION John Harris puts the Industrial Revohution to good use by becoming the forefather of large-scale bacon mamufacturing with his first factory in 1924 SLICED AND PACKAGED Wiltshire. America is finally introduced to pre-sliced, pre-packaged bacon. 1939 BACON BECOMES EXPLOSIVE The Second Warld War farces bacon frugality. 1980S Households retum bacon fat back to butchers ATKINS = BACON-MANIA after cocking it, who in turn sell it to be used in Bacon-mania finds its feet, thanks to growing explosives mamufacturing interest in the protein-rich Atkins diet. 1990S WHATEVER ELSE.? Bacon-inspired dishes lile chicken-fried bacon appear on menus across Britain and the USA The world of bacon consumption will never be the same again. A BREAKDOWN OF BACON Bacon gets a bad reputation for its high salt and fat content, but you'll be amazed at how much of the good stuff you can get out of just two 25g rashers. 13G PROTEIN 50% VITAMIN B12 for gowth and healing of the body. 50 per cent of your RDA, for even more vitality! 35% VITAMIN B1 35 per cent of your RDA, boosting your FATS vitality and releasing energy. Half monounsaturated and about one-sixth polyunsaturated (the good stuff), and about one-third saturated fats - that's 6o per cent less than in the 197os! ZINC & SELENIUM Trace amounts of these antioxidants to boost your immunity. "THE BACON SANDWICH IS ONE OF THE WESTERN WORLD'S GREATEST TRIUMPHS..." - GREGG WALLACE BACON-INSPIRED FOODSTUFFS BACONNAISE BACON SALT BACON VODKA is a zero-calorie, zero-fat, vegetarian and kosher condiment dedicated to malcing any tasteless vavesty into a phenomenal feast. combines two of your five a day. bacon has solved that one demand of and mayonnaise. This can even be a vegetarian product, malcing it accecsible to those who would otherwise deny party animalb around the globe: "CanI get drunk on bacon?" Why yes - yes you can bacen's succulent taste unete orieR'S MINTS BACON CANDY CANES BACON TOOTHPASTE BACON MINTS combine the greatest things ever combines dental health and a porky presence. It also helps avoid the awful taste that regular toothpaste offers when combined with breakfast staples, such as are for those peoplo looking for a Christmas and pork. They also keep the same colour scheme too, meaning even the sure-fire way to the hear of a potential significant other. Inmagine most conservative household can be a a first kiss that tasted of bacon- little progressive. Grange juice. If anything, it's the best heart-warming, beautiful and preparation for an early morning meal unforgettable. BACON FACT #3 TAMWORTH PIG BACON LOLLIPOPS BACON GUMBALLS s called the bacon pig because of its ability tu grov without yielding -- souch fat wiil keep your appetite at bay, ensuring that your jaw gets most of the sensation of eating bacon, while the taste lasts act as a gateway drug of sorts to yourng children who will likely instantly get hooked on the sweet, salty taste of bacon - and have a sure-fire way of not ruining their appetite ahead of dinner. just long enough for you to have a range of flashbacks of great meals past. BACON-INSPIRED NON-EDIBLES BACOSIKE BACON BALM BANDAGES BACON BALH " ARCHIE MCPHEE BACON COLLECTION BACON WALLET BACON LUBE This will remind you of what you Archie McPhee's bacon collection is perhaps the ultimate gathering of inedible products. The company's range includes bacon floss, bacon soap, bacon air fresheners, a Baconlube* takes the phrase should really be spending your "bacon loving" to a whole new money on. level. Now, you too can have the bendable bacon man, bacon balm, bacon bandages, a bacon "world's first bacon-flavoured massage oil and personal lubricant". toothpick dispenser (with bacon-flavoured toothpicks). bacon gift bags, bacon gift wraps, a bacon candy necklace and even a ceramic bacon spoon rest. FIVE AMAZING BACON RECIPES As the old chef saying goes: "If the meal doesn't work, then add bacon to it." As you can see with the meals below, it really can be a very fair assumption to make. Sometimes, it's even worth just starting with bacon and working from there. BACON AND MAPLE SYRUP PANCAKES Pimp up your pancakes by frying up some bacon in the pan first, then pour the batter over it for a spectacular bacon-infused breakfast. Apply generous helpings of maple syrup and tuck in BACON WRAPPED SHRIMP This BBQ favourite is a real treat - get your seasoned shrimp, wrap each one in half a rasher of bacon and fix it with a skewer before grilling to delicious, salty perfection. CANDIED BACON Take as much bacon as you can eat, coat it liberally in brown sugar and bake at a high temperature for about half an hour. Sweet, salty and undeniably meaty, you can stick candied bacon in ice-cream, put it on waffles or even bake it into apple pie. Get sticky. BACON & BEER MACARONI CHEESE This bowl of heaven starts life as your standard macaroni cheese, but with a bottie of IPA thrown in with the cheese. Cook it down until it's thick, gooey and cheesy, then add a healthy dose of fried bacon before warning your arteries that dhe feast is coming. CHICKEN-FRIED BACON The popular chiclen frying method of Texas gets a bacon makeover in this superb dish; simply coat your uncooked rashers in batter, season as you wish, and deep fry until crispy and golden. We recommend dipping it in béchamel sauce for extra indulgence "...BACON IS THE MEAT CANDY OF THE WORLD... - KATY PERRY ALTERNATIVES TO BACON Whether it's a matter of religion or simply just personal choice, there are still other ways you can get that wonderful taste of bacon without having to break your personal boundaries. These include: BAA BAAA! TURKEY BACON MACON BACON VEGETARIAN BACON As the leading alternative to -bacon for religious reasons, as well as those requiring a "healthy altemmative, turkeiy bácon is Macon - or mutton bacon - comes from sheep, While havinga similar texture to bacon, it is geniérally a yellowish-black. colour, máking it visually unappealing. A cornersfone of the Butterfield Diet, artificial bacon - "fakon" - is produced by a number of companies; however, many arīticise itstreation, underlining how it pces an emphasis on how good the real thing is generally made from smoked turkey that's then chopped and reformed. It's not ideal but it' low-fat and dopsn't shrink in the pan. Itll da "MMM.,. UNEXPLAINED BACO.. - HOMER SIMPSON BACON IS NOT BACON UNLESS IT'S BACON. ACCEPTANCE OF NO IMITATORS Face it. if you can't eat baçon for one reason or another, the best way to. de al with it may be to skipstraight to the fifth stage of the Kübler-Ross model and accept you have no other optibni. No denial, anger, bargaining or deptession - you can do it. Take up something else. Crème brulée, or videogámes. Each has merits "BACON TASTES GOO0OD. PORK CHOPS TASTE GOO0OD..." - VINCENT EGA PULP FICTION SOURCES OINK http://bacontoday.com/17-mouthwatering-facts-about-bacon/ http://www.icanhasinternets.com/2010/05/20-awesome-bacon-facts-graphic/ http://www.lovepork.co.uk/pork-products-cuts/bacon/bacon-facts/ http://www.express.co.uk/fun/topiofacts/384985/Ten-10-facts-about-bacon http://baconnation.co/Bacon_Fun_Facts.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicken fried_bacon http://thebeeroness.com/2012/10/o9/stove-top-beer-and-bacon-mac-and-cheese/ http://nourishnetwork.com/2009/12/02/candied-bacon/. http://www.gastronomersguide.com/2010/12/bacon-wrapped-shrimp.html http://www.marthastewart.com/326883/bacon-pancakes bacoritube