In the 19th century, Denmark's main food export was grain to the UK, but it was outcompeted by the United States and Russia and began to switch to pigs and butter from dairy herds.[4] English Large White pigs were exported to Denmark in the early nineteenth century.[5] From 1840 to 1870 grain was almost half of Denmark's exports, but by 1900 this had fallen to under 3 per cent.[6] Denmark exported bacon to the United Kingdom from at least 1847, when flitches of bacon were specially prepared for the English market, but had no large-scale production until 1864, when the Second Schleswig War made export of live pigs to Hamburg, where up to then they had been slaughtered and cured, impossible and Denmark was forced to do this locally. However, export to the UK only became significant after Germany, to whom Denmark had been exporting since the Middle Ages, erected trade barriers to (1879), and finally banned (1887), the import of live pigs. The lost German market amounted to almost 300,000 pigs per year and Denmark desperately needed to find a new market. The Danish imports were welcomed in the UK; the growth in population following the Industrial Revolution meant that the country was no longer self-sufficient in food, but there was an increasing demand from a more affluent working class. The pig population grew from 442,441 in 1871 to nearly 2.5 million in 1914.[7]
At the time, British workers on average pay consumed bacon two to three times a week, and bacon and eggs became the traditional British breakfast. This had previously been quite unaffordable for the working class. By the end of the 19th century, 90% of Danish pig exports went to the UK and accounted for 20% of total Danish exports. This made Denmark the main supplier to the UK, replacing the U.S. which previously held that position. Danish Bacon still had more than 25% of the UK market in the 1980s.[8]
Danish bacon exports to the UK were interrupted during both world wars. During World War One the cause was the shortage of imported cereals with which to feed the pigs. In World War Two Danish ships supplying Britain had their cargo confiscated by the Germans or were even sunk. 6,500 tonnes of bacon were lost in this way. The occupation of Denmark by the Germans in 1940 put a stop to exporting to Britain altogether.[15]
Attempts were made to modernise British bacon production along Danish lines in the 1930s, but this was not altogether successful at displacing Danish bacon, despite trade restrictions being imposed.[16] Danish bacon remained a major item of discussion in trade negotiations between the two countries and complaints about the disjointedness of British bacon production compared to that from Denmark were still taking place in Parliament in the 1950s.[17][18] Danish bacon established a reputation in Britain; the mildly cured taste was preferred to the heavily salted and borax-laden bacon imports from the US. Attempts by other countries, such as Canada, to establish bacon imports into Britain during this period used Danish bacon as the quality standard against which their product was judged.[19]
There has been a growing movement by the co-operatives to centralise the slaughterhouse and bacon processing plants into ever larger establishments. The plants have been moved out of Denmark to more economically advantageous locations and this has partially happened to the slaughterhouses too, leaving Denmark to concentrate on just the raising of the pigs.[21] In the 1960s, vacuum packing and automated slicing were introduced, which were carried out in plants in the UK.[20] In the 1970s, mixed farms were still common, but farms then became more specialised in pig rearing and the process more industrialised. The number of farmer-owned co-operatives fell from 62 in 1962 to just two today.[4]
In 2001, 5% of bacon consumed in Denmark was imported. During 2004 and 2005, bacon production was moved to Germany and especially Poland, where costs are lower. This almost immediately resulted in imports climbing to 75% and the price falling to one-third of Danish-produced bacon.[22] However, the product is still marketed as Danish bacon, since it is produced from Danish pigs. In Danish shops, it is not possible to buy conventionally produced Danish sliced bacon that has been sliced in Denmark. Danish consumers have expressed unhappiness with what they perceive to be a deceptive practice.[3] In the UK, slicing and packaging of Danish bacon continues to be carried out in UK plants owned by Danish Crown.[2]
The UK pig system was introduced following a call in the late 1990s by William Hague, the leader of the British Conservative Party (at the time in opposition) to ban Danish bacon. Hague claimed that the "sow stall" system used in Denmark put British pig farmers at a competitive disadvantage since they were not allowed to use this system under British animal welfare regulations. UK supermarkets responded by demanding improved pig welfare conditions, which resulted in the UK pig with sows able to move freely. Danish farmers were paid a supplement to cover the additional cost of rearing UK pigs.[25]
Danish Bacon has been heavily promoted on British television. A 1999 advertisement caused a large number of complaints to be received by the Independent Television Commission. The ad made reference to the 1973 horror movie The Exorcist, a film which itself had been banned on video until that year. The ad "shows a teenage girl sitting on a bed in the midst of a fit. Suddenly her attention is drawn to the smell coming from a pan of frying bacon, and she grimaces as her head rotates 360 degrees suggesting her delight at the smell." It was criticised as tasteless, and since it ran in the daytime as well, many parents complained, leading the commission to prohibit the ad from being shown before 9pm.[27]
In 2007, the Danish Bacon and Meat Council commissioned research at Leeds University into what features make a perfect bacon butty (the researchers refused to use the term sandwich deeming this to be incorrect terminology). Among the findings were that texture and crispiness of the bacon were just as important as taste.[28]
Danish bacon is a cured meat made from pigs raised in Denmark. It is cut from the loin of the pig, differentiating it from American bacon, which is cut from the pig's belly. This meat product has the familiar meat and fat striation of most bacon, but it tends to be meatier than American bacon. The cured meat is particularly popular in the United Kingdom, where it has been imported from Denmark since the mid-1800s.
In Britain, a slice of Danish bacon is usually referred to as a rasher. A very popular British dish containing the meat is a bacon butty, or bacon sandwich. The popularity of this bacon in the United Kingdom can be traced back to the mid-1800s, when the Danish began exporting pigs to the region in a strategic economic move that lead to one of Denmark's major exports: pigs. To the present day, Danish bacon is fairly difficult to find outside of the European Union.
Bacon is a cured meat which has been prepared in many areas of the world for thousands of years. Some geographical regions have developed their own unique preparation processes. The spices incorporated into the curing process can also vary greatly by region and are likely to include spices native to the area. Like Canadian bacon, Irish bacon, English bacon, and American bacon, Danish bacon has a unique taste and texture.
The history of Danish bacon goes as far back as the 1800s. Germany had traditionally been a large consumer of Danish pig products, but opted to ban the import of Danish pigs around the middle of the century. Denmark then began importing to the United Kingdom, where the effects of the industrial revolution left the country ripe for food import. British workers simply needed more food than could be produced by the United Kingdom itself. The Dutch people's strategic economic decision to begin exporting pork to the United Kingdom lead to a huge pork industry that continues to be a large contributor to the Danish economy.
Despite its name it is classic traditional Polish bacon that would give the characteristic flavor to many Polish soups, bigos or scrambled eggs. Smoked and simmered with special spices. Weight and price may slightly differ between individual packages. Priced per 1 lb. Vacuum packed.
The Danes used to be world leaders in bacon production. Pork was selected and cured to a specific standard that delivered a consistent and reliable product. Traditional curing requires the pork to be immersed in brine for a period of time. Latterly many bacon producers prefer to cure their pork by a method known as PUMPING. This means that the pork is injected with a cure. The amount of liquid that can be infused into the pork by PUMPING is greater than would be the case with traditional curing which reduces the cost or improves profit.
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