# Differences in bacon **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 7, 2013, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/differences-in-bacon/670599 "2013-10-07T16:37:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![want2befree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/3e96dc/32.png) [@want2befree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/want2befree)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2013, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/differences-in-bacon/670599/1 "2013-10-07T16:37:42Z")
I buy the same brand of bacon every time, but every once in a while, I get a package that is not as good as previous packages. The good ones will produce a thin cut, crispy, fatty, tasty outcome. The one I just bought is a bit thicker, chewy, not so tasty product. I’m thinking it may be that this particular package is lacking in fat and has too much meat for my liking. Could/should I return it? After all, it was $7.59, and for that price I expect it to melt in my mouth and be bacon-gasmic! ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2013, 8:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/differences-in-bacon/670599/2 "2013-10-08T08:50:09Z")
save it and make bacon crumbles, or use it chopped up finely in cabbage soup, or run it through a meat grinder and add it to ground beef for bacon burgers. ---
**Author:** ![sandra\_nz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@sandra\_nz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sandra_nz)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2013, 9:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/differences-in-bacon/670599/3 "2013-10-08T09:08:01Z")
As someone who has eaten the same brand of bacon for breakfast every day for the past two years, I have noticed a lot of variation in the constitution and flavour of the rashers. Which makes sense when you consider that pigs are not perfect barrels! ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2013, 10:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/differences-in-bacon/670599/4 "2013-10-08T10:14:11Z")
Even assuming spherical pigs of uniform composition, the process of manufacturing bacon probably includes variables - things like the salinity of the brine, the thickness setting of the slicing machinery, the temperatures, etc, will all probably vary momentarily between upper and lower tolerances, rather than being absolutely fixed. ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2013, 10:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/differences-in-bacon/670599/5 "2013-10-08T10:35:29Z")
I started to make a bacon post yesterday. My store quit carrying my brand which I only knew by sight and not name for some reason. Very easy to cook golden brown and crispy every time. I also liked it because I didn’t have to slow cook it as long as I flipped it regular. My ex clued me into this brand several years ago and now she can’t remember the name either. ``` I keep trying all the major and minor brands looking for one that will give me a repeat quality. Most of them are fare if I cook very slowly but have yet to find one that matches the quality and especially the crispiness and the tendency to develop the rich golden brown color that delivers such a wonderful taste. ``` ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2013, 10:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/differences-in-bacon/670599/6 "2013-10-08T10:43:59Z")
I buy different bacon every time I go to the supermarket/butcher. It depends what’s on special…sometimes it’s the short-cut bacon (the loin end) or streaky (the other end), othertimes the middle rasher or even the 1kg budget packs which incorporates all sorts of odds and ends. I pick my recipes to suit the bacon…and it’s never failed me yet. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2013, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/differences-in-bacon/670599/7 "2013-10-08T16:17:39Z")
> [@want2befree](#): > > The [bacon] I just bought is a bit thicker, chewy, not so tasty product. > > Could/should I return it? Most grocery stores in my area will give a cheerful no-questions-asked refund for items that are not satisfactory. > [@HoneyBadgerDC](#): > > My store quit carrying my brand which I only knew by sight and not name for some reason…I keep trying all the major and minor brands looking for one that will give me a repeat quality. The two brands that I find most consistent with good quality are Farmland and Wright. Farmland is widely available in my area, Wright is a more upscale brand with limited distribution. (If we’re really lucky one of those is your brand.) ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2013, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/differences-in-bacon/670599/8 "2013-10-08T17:47:09Z")
> [@Gary\_T](#): > > Most grocery stores in my area will give a cheerful no-questions-asked refund for items that are not satisfactory. > > The two brands that I find most consistent with good quality are Farmland and Wright. Farmland is widely available in my area, Wright is a more upscale brand with limited distribution. (If we’re really lucky one of those is your brand.) I did a search and they carry Farmland at the same Ralphs I do all my shopping at. I will give it a try. ---
**Author:** ![want2befree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/3e96dc/32.png) [@want2befree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/want2befree)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2013, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/differences-in-bacon/670599/9 "2013-10-08T18:05:17Z")
[quote=“Gary\_T, post:7, topic:670599”] Most grocery stores in my area will give a cheerful no-questions-asked refund for items that are not satisfactory. [QUOTE] Now I dont know if it’s too late, I’ve consumed about half the package. I had 4 the first round, because that’s how many I usually cook at a time. Then I had 1 more just to see if it turned out the same. (Der, I know) Then cooked up 2 more in the evening, still secretly hoping for some magic if I cooked it longer. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2013, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/differences-in-bacon/670599/10 "2013-10-08T19:06:12Z")
Flipping this sizzling topic over to Cafe Society, from IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![want2befree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/3e96dc/32.png) [@want2befree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/want2befree)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2013, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/differences-in-bacon/670599/11 "2013-10-08T20:07:53Z")
> [@Ellen\_Cherry](#): > > Flipping this sizzling topic over to Cafe Society, from IMHO. Cute! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2013, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/differences-in-bacon/670599/12 "2013-10-08T21:15:41Z")
It may be the same brand, but was it the same variety? For instance, could you have grabbed the apple wood smoked or maple or any other variation rather than the original?