Ooh…bacon. The bad boy of the food world, with its high-fat, high-sodium, preservative-laden attitude. And yet…we can’t stay away, whether it’s a breakfast buffet at Big Boy, an appetizer at Coastal Flats (love their brown sugar-cured bacon/deviled eggs with spiced pecans dish), or the humble BLT.
Interesting bits about bacon (haha):
- Up until Shakespeare’s time (late 16th/early 17thc), the term bacon – sometimes spelled “bacoun” – was used to mean all pork in general, and originated from several French and German dialect words that meant “back” (of the animal, of course).
- Bacon hazard: in 1131, a wandering pig scares the horse that Philip of France was riding. The horse throws him and he dies from his injuries, proving that even the heir of France is not safe from pigs running amok. After that, the government tries to ban city folks from raising pigs, but they like their bacon more than they like their future kings, apparently, and it really wasn’t enforced.
- Although bacon was cheap and easy to make – which is why it was a staple peasant food in early England – Englishman John Harris sets up the first bacon-making operation in Wiltshire in the 1770s. Wiltshire, England is still considered the “Bacon Capital” of the UK.
- In 1924, the Americans get into the large-scale bacon-making business when Oscar-Mayer packages (and patents) pre-sliced bacon for the American housewife (no more brine tubs in the back yard! Yay!).
- A typical American consumes 17.9 pounds of bacon a year. Wow.
- Scientists have found that choline (a micronutrient in bacon and other foods) improves fetal brain development.
- Denmark leads the world in pork consumption.
Sources:
17 Mouth-watering Facts about Bacon
Unconventional forms/uses of bacon:
Bacon Bandages (not real bacon, of course)
Bacon Roses for your sweetie, from Pamela V. Mason’s blog (which you should check out; there’s even more bacon there):
Van Gogh’s “Starry Night” – the bacon version:
Gummy bacon – looks like raw bacon (“eat it and scare your friends!”), but it’s really strawberry-flavored gummy candy:
Bacon-flavored ________?!
…Diet Coke (really? why not regular Coke? And, no, I don’t know where to get it):
…chocolate (I love bacon. I love chocolate. Hey, I have an idea…):
…coffee (perhaps you can dunk your bacon in your morning java, and get the same effect?):
…dental hygiene products (eww, aren’t we trying to clean the bacon taste OUT of our mouths?):
And, finally (if you’re still corresponding or paying bills the old-fashioned way), bacon-flavored envelopes:
Maybe bacon-scented keyboards will be next, LOL.
So, there you have it! A short trip through bacon-land. There are many more examples, but we have a weekend to get started on.
Have you run across other unusual uses for bacon? Any recipes you’d like to share? What’s your favorite can’t-resist-even-though-it’s-bad-for-you food? I’d love to hear from you!
Until next time,
Kathy
Vosges makes some awesome chocolate, with the most amazing combos. I have to admit though, as much as I love chocolate and bacon, I did not love chocolate AND bacon.
I haven’t tried their unconventional flavor combinations, but it would be interesting! Thanks, Amber!
BACON FLAVORED DIET COKE IS ACTUALLY A THING??? That seems like something we’d see on Piper Bayard’s ‘The End is Near and We Deserve It”!!
Stunningly awesome post. For reals.
Thanks, Myndi! I was surprised, too!
Bacon makes me think of Jim Gaffigan’s stand up routine: “If not for bacon, we wouldn’t even know what a water chestnut is!” 🙂
LOL, Coleen!
We have the toothpaste. And no, I’ve never used it.
Wow. Time to try it out, Leanne!
Love it! I am forever grateful to Oscar Meyer. And since I think everything is better when battered and deep-fried, here you go: http://bacontoday.com/deep-fried-bacon-for-reals/. Fascinating stuff, Kathy.
Hmm…love to try that one!
My husband would seriously love that bacon-flavored floss and toothpaste. I’m going to have to get it for him as a joke gift.
I’m sure he’d love it, Marcy! 😀
I’m not very up to date on my pop culture but didn’t Lady Gaga wear some type of apparel made of bacon?
They called it a “meat dress” – it was pretty gross. 🙂
LOL! Who woulda thunk? I didn’t know all those fun facts about bacon and I’d never heard about those products. Ew! I love bacon, well done. Denny’s Restaurant came out with a bacon topped ice cream sundae. Some people love it. Doesn’t sound good to me!
I know, right? Why would something you like in one form be assumed to be good in other? Duh. 🙂
Wow, I never knew there were so man bacon flavored things. The toothpaste, chocolate and Coke were ick, though. Some tastes just don’t blend.
I agree, Reetta! 🙂
I had NO idea bacon was so popular and could be used in so many wonderful ways. LOL!! I dare say, I’d actually try chocolate covered bacon. I think the combination of sweet and salty might just be heavenly….or horrible…one or the other!
ROFL – FAB post darlin’!
Thanks, Natalie!