Bacon

is a type of  made from various, typically the  or less fatty parts of the back. It is eaten as a side dish (particularly in s), used as a central ingredient (e.g., the, or as a flavouring or accent (as in bacon bits in a salad).

Bacon is also used for and  roasts, especially game, including  and, and may also be used to insulate or flavour roast joints by being layered onto the meat. The word is derived from the *bakkon, meaning “back meat”.

Meat from other animals, such as, lamb, , , or , may also be cut, cured, or otherwise prepared to resemble bacon, and may even be referred to as, for example, ““. Such use is common in areas with significant and  populations as both religions prohibit the consumption of pork. such as “soy bacon” also exist.

Curing and smoking


Before the advent of cheap and widespread artificial refrigeration in the modern era the of meat was necessary for its safe long-term preservation. However, both the flavour imparted to the meat in doing so and the extended 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, known as wet curing, or rubbed with salt, known as dry curing. Bacon brine has added curing ingredients, most notably or nitrates, which speed the curing and stabilize colour. Cured bacon may then be dried for weeks or months in cold air, or it may be or. Fresh and dried bacon are typically cooked before eating, often by. Boiled bacon is, 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 or. 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.

Bacon is distinguished from other salt-cured by differences in the cuts of meat used and in the brine or dry packing. Historically, the terms “” 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 or  are used for flavour. Bacon is similar to, 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, caused by , a parasitic which can be destroyed by heating, freezing, drying, or smoking. Sodium polyphosphates, such as, may also be added to make the product easier to slice and to reduce spattering when the bacon is pan-fried.

Cuts
Bacon type differs depending on the of  from which it is prepared, which reflects local preference.




 * Side bacon, or streaky bacon, comes from the pork belly. It has long alternating layers of fat and muscle running parallel to the {{w|pork rind|rind]]. This is the most common form of bacon in the United States.
 * {{w|Pancetta}} is an Italian form of side bacon, sold smoked or unsmoked (aqua). It is generally rolled up into cylinders after curing, and is known for having a strong flavour.
 * {{w|Back bacon}} contains meat from the {{w|loin}} in the middle of the back of the pig. It is a leaner cut, with less fat compared to side bacon. Most bacon consumed in the United Kingdom and Ireland is back bacon.
 * Collar bacon is taken from the back of a pig near the head.
 * Cottage bacon is made from the lean meat from a boneless pork shoulder that is typically tied into an oval shape.
 * {{w|Jowl bacon}} is cured and smoked cheeks of pork. {{w|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', varies, though is less common in the English-speaking world.

Australia and New Zealand
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 -consciousness, some 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.

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

Germany


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

Small bacon cubes (called Grieben or 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 recently as Baconwürfel (“bacon cubes”) in German retail stores.

Japan
In Japan, bacon (ベーコン) is pronounced “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. Uncured, sliced pork belly, known as bara (バラ), is very popular in Japan and is used in a variety of dishes (e.g. and ).

United Kingdom and Ireland
Back bacon is the most common form in the UK 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. 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”, 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. Bacon is also sold and served as joints, usually boiled, broiled or roast, 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”. Hot are a popular cafe dish in the UK and Ireland, and are anecdotally recommended as a.

Bacon is often served with s and s as part of a.

United States
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. American bacons include varieties smoked with, or  and flavourings such as , , , or. A side of unsliced bacon is known as “slab bacon”.

regulations only recognized bacon as “cured” if it has been treated with synthetic nitrites or nitrates (e.g. or ). 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.

History
Salted pork belly first appeared in China. In the term bacon or bacoun referred to all pork in general. Before the, bacon was generally produced on local farms and in domestic kitchens. The worlds first commercial bacon processing plant was opened in Wiltshire in the 1770s by John Harris. In 1930, 99% of the world's bacon and ham exports went to Britain, where was preferred to domestic bacon. Danish bacon was produced in a state-supported factory system with more standardised quality and was extensively advertised. In the Second World War Danish bacon was not available, and the American alternative, said to be fat and heavily boraxed, was not popular.

Bacon mania
The United States and Canada have seen an increase in the popularity of bacon and bacon-related recipes, dubbed “”. The sale of bacon in the US has increased significantly since 2011. 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”. Dishes such as, , and have been popularised over the Internet, as has the use of candied bacon. Recipes spread quickly through both countries' national, culinary , and. Restaurants have organised and are organising bacon and nights,  reported on bacon infused with  used for , and celebrity chef  has endorsed a “Bacon of the Month” club online, in print, and on national.

Commentators explain this surging interest in bacon by reference to what they deem. Sarah Hepola, in a 2008 article in , 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.“ She also suggests bacon is sexy (with a reference to Sarah Katherine Lewis' book Sex and Bacon), kitsch, and funny. Hepola concludes by saying that “Bacon is American”.

Alison Cook, writing in the , argues the case of bacon's American citizenship by referring to historical and geographical uses of bacon. Early American literature echoes the sentiment—in '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.

As of December 2016, the U.S. national frozen pork belly inventory totaled 17.8 e6lb, the lowest level in 50 years.

Bacon dishes


Bacon dishes include bacon and eggs, sandwiches,, and various bacon-wrapped foods, such as , ,   and. Recently invented bacon dishes include, , , and the. is a traditional Welsh stew, made with sliced potatoes, vegetables and smoked bacon. and bacon marmalade are also commercially available.

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

Bacon is also used as an accent in dishes, such as bacon-topped,  crisp and crumbled into , or as a crumble in a salad.

are crumbled bacon in form, typically commercially prepared and preserved for long.

Bacon fat


Bacon fat liquefies and becomes when it is heated. Once cool, it firms into a form of. Bacon fat is flavourful and is used for various cooking purposes. Traditionally, bacon grease is saved in British and, and used as a base for cooking and as an all-purpose flavouring, for everything from to  to.



In Germany, 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, and is a traditional method of preparing beef , which is wrapped in strips of bacon before cooking. The bacon itself may afterwards be discarded or served to eat, like. It may also be cut into.

One teaspoon (4 g) 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%. Despite the of excessive bacon grease consumption, it remains popular in the cuisine of the.

Nutrients
One 10-g slice of cooked side bacon contains 4.5 g of fat, 3.0 g of protein, and 205 mg of sodium. 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. A serving of three slices of bacon contains 30 milligrams of (0.1%).

Health concerns
Studies have consistently found the consumption of processed meat to be linked to increased, and to an increased risk of developing a number of serious health conditions including , and. Although these links have not been definitely established as, they are likely to be.

Bacon can contain nitrites, which can form carcinogenic -compounds such as, nitrosyl-{{w|hemev and {{w|nitrosamine|nitrosamines}}. In the United States, {{w|sodium nitrite}} cannot exceed certain levels in bacon. {{w|Vitamin C}} (ascorbate) or {{w|sodium erythorbate}} can be added to bacon, which greatly reduces the formation of nitrosamines but has no effect on and nitrosyl-{{w|heme}}. {{w|Vitamin E}} (tocopherol) also reduces nitrosamine levels. Bacon fried at higher temperatures potentially has more nitrosamines than bacon fried at lower temperatures.

According to the {{w|World Health Organization}} in 2015, regular consumption of processed meats such as bacon increases the likelihood of developing {{w|colorectal cancer|colorectal cancers}} by 18%.

Alternatives
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.

Turkey bacon


Turkey bacon is consumed by some due over health benefits, religious laws, or other concerns. 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. Turkey bacon is cooked by pan-frying. Cured turkey bacon made from 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.

Macon
“Macon” is produced by curing cuts of mutton in a manner similar to the production of pork bacon. Historically produced in, it was introduced across Britain during as a consequence of rationing. It is today available as an alternative to bacon, produced for the Muslim market and sold at butchers; it is largely similar in appearance to pork bacon except for the darker colour.

Vegetarian bacon
Vegetarian bacon, also referred to as facon, veggie bacon, or vacon, is a vegetarian “bacon” made from plant matter. It has no cholesterol, is low in fat, and contains large amounts of protein and fibre. Two slices contain about 74 kcal. Vegetarian bacon is usually made from marinated strips of or  (fermented soybeans).

Pig welfare
, a 2002 book by Sara Perry, is a cookbook that represents the historical acceptance of bacon.

As with most meat products, however, modern producers of bacon have received heavy criticism for how their pigs are treated. Many petitions and protests have been made trying to raise awareness and change how producers treat their pigs. Many of these protests have turned out successful: for example, following 's report of an undercover investigation of an abusive pig farm, terminated their contract with the pig farm. Similar to NBC's investigation, (HSUS) investigated, one of the pig breeding facilities that supply. According to HSUS, the pigs were treated poorly and abused. Walmart spokesperson Diana Gee said, “As soon as we were made aware of the allegations, we immediately reached out to Seaboard to begin investigating the issue ... Pending our review, we will take any action necessary.” also exist that oppose poor treatment of pigs, some of which state that the treatment of pigs in factories is cruel and unethical.

Bacon-flavoured products
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.

Bacon bits
Bacon bits are a frequently used topping on or potatoes, and a common element of. They are usually salted. Bacon bits are made from small, crumbled pieces of bacon; in commercial plants they are cooked in continuous. Similar products are made from ham or turkey, and analogues are made from, artificially flavoured to resemble bacon.

Other bacon-flavoured products
There is also a wide range of other bacon-flavoured products, including a bacon-flavoured salt, (a bacon-flavoured mayonnaise),  (a tinned meat, similar to ) and.

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