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65% of Americans would support bacon as the National Food

On December 30th each year, bacon lovers celebrate one of nature’s favored gifts on Bacon Day!

  • In the United States and Canada, bacon is made from pork belly.
  • Elsewhere in the world, the side and back cuts of pork are used. The meat is cured in either a salt brine or in a salt pack. It is then either dried, boiled, or smoked.
  • The origins of Bacon stretch back into the middle ages, with the name originating in Middle English from the word “Bacoun”. Following it back you find it in France as Bako, Germany as Bakko, and old Teutonic as Backe. All of these words mean “back”.
  • But that’s not even the earliest example of bacon, the first bacon was known to come from the Romans, and was known as ‘Petaso’.
  • Bacon is one of the oldest processed meats. The Chinese were the first to cook salted pork bellies over 3000 years ago.
  • The first bacon factory opened in 1770.  But in the 18th century, a man by the name of John Harris opened the first bacon processing plant. Mr. Harris had developed a special brining solution called the “Wiltshire Cure,” which is still used today.
  • You may recognize the phrase “bringing home the bacon” as a reference to making money. But in 12th-century England, this phrase meant something completely different. Back then, churches would award a side of bacon (which they called a “flitch”) to any married man who swore before God that he and his wife had not argued for a year and a day. Therefore, men who “brought home the bacon” were looked upon as good husbands and citizens.
  • During WWII, the U.S. government urged citizens to donate their excess bacon fat to the army. A whole committee was even created for it: The American Fat Salvage Committee. The fat was used to make glycerin which in turn was used to make bombs.
  • 70% of all bacon in the US is eaten at breakfast time.
  • More than 2 billion pounds of bacon is produced yearly in the US.
  • Americans Eat about 18 pounds per person per year.
  • Percentage of Americans that would support bacon as the National Food: 65%
  • Percentage of bacon that is cooked in a microwave: 15%
  • Held every year in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Camp Bacon offers a wide range of bacon related activities which include speakers, cooking classes, and of course, bacon tasting.
  • Can’t get enough of that sweet, delicious bacon smell? There’s a bacon cologne for that. A scent by Fargginay, bacōn (pronounced “bay-cone”) is the world’s first bacon fragrance.
  • In a 2010 Maple Leaf national survey, four in ten (43%) Canadians chose bacon when asked to choose between bacon and sex. Respondents from British Columbia seemed to be particularly fond of bacon as 50% said they would give up sex before bacon. By contrast, only 37% in Quebec would give up sex before bacon.
  • Originally intended as an April Fool’s prank, J&D’s Foods created the first known bacon condom. But don’t worry, the condoms are made from latex and are coated with the company’s unique bacon water-based lube. Oh yeah, they have that as well.
  • The suburban development that happened in the wake of WWII brought more supermarkets to middle class families that lived in suburban areas. Supermarkets made fresh vegetables and meats readily available year-round, and thus, the modern BLT was born. They’re so simple and delicious.
  • The first sliced and packaged bacon hit grocery store shelves in 1924, and all thanks to Oscar Meyer. Many other companies shortly followed, and it’s now basically a household staple.
  • The First Manned Mission Around The Moon Featured Bacon.  All Apollo 8 breakfasts had a key element of bacon in them, and the entire crew loved it so much they said they’d even eat the space bacon back on earth.
  • Some unusual products with bacon flavor are bacon toothpaste, bacon salt, bacon hot sauce, bacon vodka, bacon beer, bacon coffee, bacon tea, bacon olive oil, bacon ice cream, bacon cupcakes, bacon lollipops and bacon candy canes.

Sources:

National Day Calendar

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