Once primarily found on the breakfast table, bacon is now the star of the menu all day long.
If you love bacon as much as we do, it’s hard to imagine the breakfast plate without a few slices of this crispy, salty treat. Americans have had a long-standing love affair with it and it’s not hard to understand why. While our favorite pork dish has become extremely trendy in recent years, it has actually been around for a very long time.
The process of salting meats has been a method of preservation since virtually the beginning of civilization. Ancient man had to make food last in order to survive and did this through methods like salting and drying. The Chinese were curing pork bellies in salt as early as 1500 B.C., which is believed to be the earliest form of the dish. This practice may have started out as necessity but it evolved into culinary techniques that created a variety of delicious foods, including our beloved bacon.
The word itself has roots in French and German, but in 16th century England the word bacoun was used to refer to pork in general. By the 17th century salted and smoked pork belly was being called bacon. You’ve probably noticed that today the meat is no longer the darling of just the breakfast table. Chefs, restaurants and foodies all over the world are embracing it as a gourmet ingredient in every meal including dessert.
If you’re a fan of bacon we highly suggest you try our Bacon Belgian Waffle and Bacon Pancakes. We add it right into the batter so it adds a salty crunch to your breakfast favorites. Topped with butter and maple syrup, it really can’t be beat!