# "Canadian" bacon **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 27, 2008, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-bacon/442981 "2008-03-27T22:35:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MrSquishy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9e5f3/32.png) [@MrSquishy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrSquishy)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-bacon/442981/1 "2008-03-27T22:35:31Z")
I was thinking about this when I was reading about the death of the Egg McMuffin guy. Just out of curiosity, are there any Americans out there under the impression that what you call “Canadian” bacon is just called “bacon” here? Where I’m from, anyway, my bacon is the same as your bacon. The thing you call Canadian bacon is pretty similar to what I’d call “back bacon”, although I think your Canadian bacon is a little hammier (thicker, I guess, and more tender) than back bacon. Here’s the weird thing: I’m not even sure if you can get that Canadian bacon stuff in Canada. I’ve never had anything here and thought “this is just like that Canadian bacon you get in the States”. That is, I can get back bacon, which is similar, but not identical, and I don’t think we ever call anything “Canadian Bacon”. Unless we’re talking about something you get in the States. So anyway, if there’s anyone down there dreaming of coming to Canada so you can eat “Canadian Bacon” every day, I’m afraid you might have to give that dream up. On the other hand, for all I know, Canadian Bacon is all they eat in the Maritimes. Canadian Bacon and Screech, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![Southern\_Yankee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/southern_yankee/32/2800_2.png) [@Southern\_Yankee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Southern_Yankee)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-bacon/442981/2 "2008-03-27T22:40:42Z")
According to Wikipedia (see _bacon_), > [@](#): > > In the United States, back bacon is called Canadian-style bacon or Canadian bacon but refers usually to the lean ovoid bit. I always assumed your bacon was round. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-bacon/442981/3 "2008-03-27T23:05:57Z")
[QUOTE=MrSquishy] On the other hand, for all I know, Canadian Bacon is all they eat in the Maritimes. Canadian Bacon and Screech, I guess. [/QUOTE] I was in New Brunswick a few years back, OK, 20 years, and I ordered what I seem to remember was a “smoked meat” sandwich. Looked and tasted like what I knew as Canadian bacon. New Brunswick is part of the Maritimes, right? ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-bacon/442981/4 "2008-03-27T23:14:09Z")
I could never understand why it’s called Canadian “bacon.” I realize it may come from the same part of the pig as strip bacon, but as **MrSquishy** pointed out, it is more ham-like than bacon-y. ---
**Author:** ![Labtrash](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/labtrash/32/528_2.png) [@Labtrash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labtrash)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-bacon/442981/5 "2008-03-27T23:16:15Z")
This thread is making me hungry. Must find bacon (Canadian or otherwise)… ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-bacon/442981/6 "2008-03-27T23:28:27Z")
[QUOTE=GaryM] I was in New Brunswick a few years back, OK, 20 years, and I ordered what I seem to remember was a “smoked meat” sandwich. Looked and tasted like what I knew as Canadian bacon. New Brunswick is part of the Maritimes, right? [/QUOTE] Smoked meat is brisket. From bovines. ETA: And damned tasty on rye, with mustard, and a kosher pickle. Draught beer optional. ---
**Author:** ![HongKongFooey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c4cdca/32.png) [@HongKongFooey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HongKongFooey)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-bacon/442981/7 "2008-03-27T23:32:32Z")
[QUOTE=GaryM] I was in New Brunswick a few years back, OK, 20 years, and I ordered what I seem to remember was a “smoked meat” sandwich. Looked and tasted like what I knew as Canadian bacon. New Brunswick is part of the Maritimes, right? [/QUOTE] New Brunswick is indeed a part of the Maritimes and for my part (born and raised in NB) my first exposure to Canadian Bacon was visiting my wife’s family in New Jersey. I’m sure it’s available here but I’ve never seen it. FWIW, when my wife’s family comes up to visit they go nuts over our “regular” bacon, not sure why it’s different. ---
**Author:** ![mcott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f6c823/32.png) [@mcott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mcott)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2008, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-bacon/442981/8 "2008-03-28T01:30:06Z")
At least to me, “Canadian Bacon” is a mildly amusing movie staring a dead fat man 🙂 To get back to the actual question, at least here in Ottawa (or maybe just in my home), back bacon is called peameal bacon, due to the fact that it’s coated in peameal. Also, might I add just as an aside, damn, do I love the swine in any edible way. ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2008, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-bacon/442981/9 "2008-03-28T01:33:38Z")
For the same reason you Eastern Canadians have “Michigan Sandwiches.” Despite having lived in Michigan for most of my life, I’d never heard of such a thing. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2008, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-bacon/442981/10 "2008-03-28T01:50:58Z")
[Perhaps you would like to read this thread.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=343477) At post 55 we start to realize there is a difference between American, British, and Canadian terms with bacon. It was a detailed discussion on a couple items of difference. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2008, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-bacon/442981/11 "2008-03-28T01:51:58Z")
[QUOTE=Athena] For the same reason you Eastern Canadians have “Michigan Sandwiches.” Despite having lived in Michigan for most of my life, I’d never heard of such a thing. [/QUOTE] And having lived most of my life in Ontario, I’ve never heard of a “Michigan Sandwich.” Q’est-ce que c’est? ---
**Author:** ![SkipMagic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skipmagic/32/20706_2.png) [@SkipMagic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkipMagic)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2008, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-bacon/442981/12 "2008-03-28T02:38:17Z")
Off to Cafe Society. ---
**Author:** ![detop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bcef8e/32.png) [@detop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/detop)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2008, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-bacon/442981/13 "2008-03-28T02:42:36Z")
[QUOTE=Leaffan] And having lived most of my life in Ontario, I’ve never heard of a “Michigan Sandwich.” Q’est-ce que c’est? [/QUOTE] I don’t know what it is they mean. Around here a “michigan” (note, no sandwich) is a hot dog with spaghetti meat sauce. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2008, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-bacon/442981/14 "2008-03-28T02:47:34Z")
If you go back to the origin of the term, the 1800’s, it’s pretty interesting the rivalry between Canada, Denmark, and the U.S. to produce bacon for the English Market, which must have been the largest export market for this kind of product. I’ve done some research on this, trying to get an article out of it for either the SD or the American Dialect Society. The product the US produced was called “streaky bacon” and suffered by comparison to the Canadian product in the British market. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2008, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-bacon/442981/15 "2008-03-28T03:18:11Z")
Of course we know you don’t call it Canadian bacon, **MrSquishy**. You call it Canada bacon. In keeping with the confusions that gives us Siberian Tigers, Indian Elephants, Sumatran Orangutans, and American Bison but Canada Goose. ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2008, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-bacon/442981/16 "2008-03-28T03:18:21Z")
Oh sheesh, when we were in Quebec several years ago, every little sandwich shop had something called a “michigan sandwich.” I seem to recall it was some sort of meat sandwich thing. Of course, I can’t find anything about it on the Interwebs. Am I hallucinating? ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Purl\_McKnittington](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@Miss\_Purl\_McKnittington](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Purl_McKnittington)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2008, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-bacon/442981/17 "2008-03-28T03:38:35Z")
[QUOTE=detop] I don’t know what it is they mean. Around here a “michigan” (note, no sandwich) is a hot dog with spaghetti meat sauce. [/QUOTE] That sounds absolutely vile. Is it? ---
**Author:** ![vison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/e47774/32.png) [@vison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vison)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2008, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-bacon/442981/18 "2008-03-28T04:11:07Z")
[QUOTE=samclem] If you go back to the origin of the term, the 1800’s, it’s pretty interesting the rivalry between Canada, Denmark, and the U.S. to produce bacon for the English Market, which must have been the largest export market for this kind of product. I’ve done some research on this, trying to get an article out of it for either the SD or the American Dialect Society. The product the US produced was called “streaky bacon” and suffered by comparison to the Canadian product in the British market. [/QUOTE] In BC what Americans call Canadian Bacon is called back bacon. We seldom see peameal bacon here. I go to a shop that sells gammon, which we like, and they also sell Aberdeen bacon, which seems to be like peameal bacon, only fattier. What the Brits call streaky bacon we call side bacon, but according my English friend who just got back after 3 months in England, their streaky bacon is not as fatty as our side bacon. When we raise our own hog, I use the “cottage roll” or boneless picnic, sliced, for bacon. What about kippers, eh? Divine, if they’re good. ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2008, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-bacon/442981/19 "2008-03-28T04:17:10Z")
[QUOTE=detop] I don’t know what it is they mean. Around here a “michigan” (note, no sandwich) is a hot dog with spaghetti meat sauce. [/QUOTE] That sounds similar to a [Coney Island](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coney_Island_hot_dog). ---
**Author:** ![ShermanAter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@ShermanAter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShermanAter)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2008, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-bacon/442981/20 "2008-03-28T06:19:17Z")
**MrSquishy** what do you guys call American cheese? back cheese? 😉 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-bacon/442981.md?page=2)