The Pig Bang Theory: Bacon, Bombs & Bacon Bombs

THE PIG BANG THEORY Since bacon prices peaked in 2014, they're now falling back to earth, and demand is skyrocketing as a result. But while bacon may be back, human history shows a long-time love affair with the cured meat. 1500 B.C.E Some believe this practice may date back to the domestication of pigs in 9000 B.C.E. The Chinese began curing pork belly with salt. ROMAN ERA Romans had their own variation of bacon known as Petaso, which was pig meat boiled with figs, then browned and seasoned with pepper sauce. The word "bacon" is believed to come from the French word "bako," the common Germanic "bakkon," and the Old Teutonic word "backe," all of which refer to the back of the pig. 12TH CENTURY The phrase, "bring home the bacon" can be traced back to the 12th Century in the English town of Dunmow. The church promised to award a side of bacon to any married man who swore before God and the congregation that he would not argue with his wife for a year and a day. During the 17th Century the word "bacon" was starting to be used to refer exclusively to the salted and smoked Wiltshire is considered to be belly that we know today. 1770'S the bacon capital of the world and helped develop a method of curing pork in a brine curing solution, which became known as the "Wiltshire Cure." The first large-scale bacon curing business was set up by John Harris in Wiltshire, Engalnd. 1924 Oscar Mayer patented the first sliced, packaged version of bacon. IIn 1925, the average price of bacon ! was 48c per pound. Today, the average price is $5.46 per pound. 1939 / W WI During a time when rationing was important, bacon gained a lot of popularity with families due to the affordable price. After households cooked bacon, they would return the fat to the butcher, who would then donate it to the war effort to be used in manufacturing explosives. 1960'S 70% Brown N' Serve successfully introduced pre-cooked bacon to families across America, which made bacon even more appealing to the public due to the ease of quick cooking. of the bacon in America is consumed at the breakfast table. 1990'S Because of the rising trend in diet fads consisting of low * fat and high protein contents, such as The Atkins Diet, turkey bacon was introduced into the market and became popular amongst the health conscious who were looking for an alternative breakfast meat choice. Demand grows for veggie bacon, also known as 'fakon". This is most During the 1990's, the famous "chicken-fried baconli was created by Frank Sodolak of Sodolak's Original Country Inn. commonly made through a combination of soy, eggs and wheat. THE BA CON EXPLOSION In December 2008, Jason Day and Aaron Chronister of "BBQ Addicts" posted a recipe to their blog on how to make The Bacon Explosion - also sometimes referred to as The Bacon Bomb. This is essentially a log of meat, wrapped in bacon, smothered in barbecue sauce. 2 pounds of thick cut bacon, 2 pounds of Italian sausage, 1 jar of BBQ sauce, and 1 jar of BBQ rub. THE BACON SHOCK In 2014, the price of bacon hit a record high at $6.10 a pound due to a deadly pig virus. That did not stop the bacon epidemic. High prices or not - bacon sales actually climbed 8% in 2014 to an all time high of $4.4 billion. It's also reported that American shoppers bought more than 864 million pounds of bacon last year. $7.00 r Because bacon $6.00- prices are declining, it's making a comeback with fast food chains like Little Caesar's, who $5.00 now offer a bacon-wrapped crust pizza. Since beginning of this year, the price of pork is starting to plummet. The average price of bacon went from $5.59 a pound in January 2015 to $5.46 in Febrary. The price of bacon is expected to continue declining, which will result in - yes, you called it - more bacon. thebaconpage.com "History of Bacon" newsfeed.time.com "The Complete History of How Bacon Took Over The World" bacon.wikia.com "Bacon History foodtimeline.org/foodmeats.html#bacon englishbreakfastsociety.com "History of Bacon" islandpacket.com/2014/02/04/2928780_will-the-everythings-better-with.html?rh=1 bbqaddicts.com | Blog |"The Bacon Explosion" nytimes.com/2009/01/28/dining/28bacon.html?_r=0 cnbc.com/id/490369974. homecooking.about.com Food History | Bacon istory infoplease.com/ipa/A0873707.html wisegeek.com "What Is Vegetarian Bacon?" www.pressherald.com"Bacons Back But Did It Ever Really Go Away?" data.bls.gov/timeseries/APU0000704111?data_tool-XGtable GOURMET FOOD GARDEN Price Per Pound Aug. 2014 Jan. 2015 Feb. 2015