Here are some facts about Bacon that you may not know:

Where to start, let’s start at the beginning. So, the actual process of bacon is adding salt to pork, which was started before 1500 B.C.E in ancient China. The ancient Romans also had a type of Bacon that came from a pig’s shoulder, sometimes called Cottage Bacon or Buckboard Bacon.

When did Bacon become a thing in the UK?

The English Bacon tradition dates back to the Saxon era, way back in the 1^st millennium AD, bacon (spelt Bacoun back then) was a Middle English (11^th-14^th Century) term that the English referred to as cut of Pork meat that was unique to Great Britain at the time.

Where did the word Bacon come from?

The word Bacon is derived from the Proto-Germanic *Bakkon, which means “back meat.”

A lot of other meat from animals such as Lamb, Chicken, Beef, Goat or Turkey, may also be cut, cured, or prepared to resemble Bacon, some even refer to such meats as “Turkey Bacon.”

What about pre-packaged Bacon, when did that happen?

Well, Pre-packaged Bacon was patented in the U.S. in 1924, by a gentleman called Oscar Mayer. The Oscar Mayer company was founded in 1900 and is still one of the top sellers of Bacon in the U.S.

The U.K. followed 10 years later in 1934 by Marks & Spencer.

The top suppliers of Bacon coming into the UK are Netherlands, Denmark & Germany.

Which country consumes the most Pork?

Denmark consumes the most Pork products per person per year.

Hong Kong consumes the most pork products per person, in the world at a whopping 55.24 kilograms per annum.

The average U.S citizen consumes around 8.11kg of bacon each year and in 2021/2022 the average UK household consumed 60 grams of uncooked bacon and ham per week, which is around 3,120 kgs per year.

What is Bacon good for?

Apart from being the best meat in the world, bacon is also used to add flavour to things such as Vodka, Beer, Seasoning, and Recipes, and studies have shown that Bacon could be good for unborn babies, due to a micronutrient in Bacon that is called Choline, that has been linked to better brain development, recall and memory. Studies have also shown that higher intakes of Choline can decrease heart problems.

Random Bacon Facts

1: 11% of a standard pig’s weight is bacon. A 200-pound pig will yield up to 20 lbs of bacon, depending on the butchering process.

2: Bringing home the bacon was a phrase used in the 12^th century, England churches would present a side of bacon to any “married man who swore before God, that he and his wife had not argued for a year and a day” Men who “brought home the bacon” were seen as been exemplary citizens and husbands. The phrase has since been amended to refer to earning and making money.

3: Bacon grease was used to make bombs, gunpowder, and other munitions, due to the U.S. government urging Americans to save excess bacon grease and donate it to the army, so they could produce Glycerin to make the munitions.

4: Bacon can have multiple flavourings added, including Maple, Molasses, Brown Sugar, Applewood, Honey, Hickory, and Mesquite.

5: On average a person eats bacon for breakfast 12 times a year.