A Guide to Everyone's Favorite Pork Product: What is Bacon?

One of the most popular foods in many different cultures and cuisines is bacon. For centuries, people have used this savory and salty pork product as a mainstay for breakfast, adding it to a variety of dishes such as salads, sandwiches, and pizza. But let's find out: what is bacon exactly, and how is it made?

A Synopsis of Bacon's Life History. The art of curing pork belly goes back thousands of years, though it's difficult to say exactly when bacon originated. As early as 1500 BC, the Chinese were curing their pig bellies, and the Romans contributed to the expansion of bacon production throughout Europe. One of the first meats that European settlers brought to the Americas was bacon, which rose to popularity in England in the 1500s.

There are several Germanic and French dialects that give rise to the term "bacon.". Old High German "bakkon" eventually gave rise to the English word "bacoun.". It is evident that bacon has long been a global favorite!

What Makes Bacon: The foundation of traditional bacon is the fatty underbelly of the pig, known as the pork belly, which contains a mottled mixture of fat and meat. Side, back, and pork loin cuts are the sources of additional bacon cuts. Instead of using pork, turkey or chicken bacon is made from cuts of birds.

Curing, preserving, and flavoring pork belly involves the use of salt, nitrates, nitrites, and occasionally sugar or maple syrup. After that, it is gently smoked for days at a low heat over a wood fire. When cooking the bacon, this adds notes of irresistible smoke. It's finally cut into slices and packaged for all of our bacon-loving delights!

Bacon types. Some common types of bacon are as follows: Streaky bacon: Made from pork belly with long fat veins, this type of bacon is not made equally. This is the bacon that is most commonly prepared "American-style.".

Bacon from the back of the pig, specifically from the loin.