Bacon: Cured meat from the back or side of the pig (Oxford Dictionary of English)

 

Rashers (16^th century term, origin unknown) a thin slice of bacon

Streaky – (british origin) cut from the belly of the pig and having strips of fat and lean

Flitch- A salted and cured side of any meat. Also, a side of bacon

 

Gammon – Bacon made from the top and hind legs of the pig

 

Green bacon- cured but not smoked [eeewww. There really is such a thing! Did Dr. Suess eat green ham???]

 

Etomology:

·      Petaso = ancient Roman use

·      Bak = prehistoric Germanic

·      Back = English origin

·      Bakkon = Later Germanic

·      Bako = Frankish usage

·      Bacon = French use of the Frankish term

 

Earliest and closest resembalance of bacon was made in the ancient Roman Empire. The Roman word for bacon was Petaso. The Roman use of bacon would not be the same as the modern use of bacon as they would boil the petaso with figs then brown it and eat it with a pepper sauce. This was known through the long reign of the Roman Empire and was a common dish as pigs were an easily domesticated animal and source of food.

 

During the 15 century bacon is common among European peasants as it is one of the cheapest meats and easy to make

 

1770’s: John Harris opens the first bacon company in Whiltshire England which is still the bacon capital of England

 

1920’s: Oscar Mayer creates the first pre-packaged, pre-sliced bacon to the American public which starts the bacon craze in America.

 

By the 1950’s America holds over 3 million pork producing companies.

 

Through modern day numerous uses of bacon have been created including:

·      Bacon Vodka (Bakon)

·      J&D’s food create baconaise, bacon salt and bacon lipbalm

·      Chocolate covered bacon

·      Bacon ice cream

·      Bacon lollipops

·      Bacon breath mints