# Is there a universal definition of "bacon"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 26, 2017, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-universal-definition-of-bacon/805356 "2017-12-26T21:52:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2017, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-universal-definition-of-bacon/805356/61 "2017-12-28T23:49:12Z")
I prefer Sir Francis Bacon, frozen of course. ---
**Author:** ![JustinC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justinc/32/8083_2.png) [@JustinC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JustinC)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2017, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-universal-definition-of-bacon/805356/62 "2017-12-29T05:51:04Z")
My local supermarket stocks turkey and beef bacon, fresh and frozen. The turkey stuff is pretty good, but having too much of the beef bacon has some unwanted side-effects. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2017, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-universal-definition-of-bacon/805356/63 "2017-12-29T13:37:08Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > For the record, no one in Canada uses the term “Canadian Bacon.” > [@buddha\_david](#): > > Makes perfect sense. It’s kinda like how no one says “Chinese food” in China. It’s just…food. When I was on the Canadian side of Niagra Falls I stopped in a sandwich shop for lunch. On the wall was was a large sign with about a jillion different sandwiches, hot and cold, among which was Grilled Peameal Bacon and Cheese. “What on earth is peameal bacon?” I asked the counter girl. “You from the States?” “Yeah.” She beamed. “Canadian bacon!” “Ah-h-h! I always figured you had ‘bacon’ and ‘Yankee bacon!’” “Naw, we just call it 'bacon.” ---
**Author:** ![sudont](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@sudont](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sudont)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2017, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-universal-definition-of-bacon/805356/64 "2017-12-29T23:29:31Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > For the record, no one in Canada uses the term “Canadian Bacon.” > > No one. > > We also don’t say “American Cheese.” Normally, I might castigate you and your countrymen for your priggishness but, since you’ve contributed peameal bacon to this World, I’ll let it slide. And, I hope the reason you never say “American Cheese” is because you never have any cause to. ---
**Author:** ![sudont](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@sudont](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sudont)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2017, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-universal-definition-of-bacon/805356/65 "2017-12-29T23:38:29Z")
> [@DesertDog](#): > > When I was on the Canadian side of Niagra Falls I stopped in a sandwich shop for lunch. On the wall was was a large sign with about a jillion different sandwiches, hot and cold, among which was Grilled Peameal Bacon and Cheese. > > “What on earth is peameal bacon?” I asked the counter girl. > > “You from the States?” > > “Yeah.” > > She beamed. “Canadian bacon!” > > “Ah-h-h! I always figured you had ‘bacon’ and ‘Yankee bacon!’” > > “Naw, we just call it 'bacon.” Except that what we Americans call Canadian bacon is not peameal bacon. They’re similar, though, in that both are made from back meat, or loin. Peameal, (before being sliced), is coated in, nowadays, cornmeal. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2017, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-universal-definition-of-bacon/805356/66 "2017-12-30T00:39:00Z")
> [@Aspidistra](#): > > It is? That’s not how I remember it. > > [Bacon](https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2011/jul/27/water-in-bacon-new-rasher-regulations), from a reputable British news source. Ugh you made a link to a page where they constanstly use that horrible word “rasher” ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2017, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-universal-definition-of-bacon/805356/67 "2017-12-30T00:49:00Z")
> [@nelliebly](#): > > Since I’m not fond of the stuff, I don’t mind if people call it something other than cheese. It did originate in the States, though, so no matter what you call it, it IS American in that it was born here. Here in the U.S., it has to meet certain standards to be called “American,” **but because it’s made from other cheeses, packages can’t be labeled “cheese” but have to be labeled “processed cheese” or simply “slices.”** So it meets the standards for “American” but not for “cheese.” Make of that what you will. > > In the interest of fairness, I should say I don’t care for “peameal” or “Canadian” bacon, either, but I say it with humility, as I regard it as a personal deficiency except when people put it on pizza, at which point, it’s simply a travesty. bolding mine There is REAL american cheese that’s not just processed or slices. It’s been discussed on this board many times. [![](https://i.imgur.com/ORpLHbG.jpg) ](https://i.imgur.com/ORpLHbG.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Banquet\_Bear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banquet_bear/32/373_2.png) [@Banquet\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banquet_Bear)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2017, 10:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-universal-definition-of-bacon/805356/68 "2017-12-30T10:00:26Z")
…in New Zealand its all just called bacon. You just buy the type you like. Middle and shoulder are most common: but streaky has its fair share of proponents. [Bacon available at a NZ supermarket.](https://shop.countdown.co.nz/Shop/Browse/breakfast-foods/bacon) ---
**Author:** ![Yorkshire\_Pudding](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/59ef9b/32.png) [@Yorkshire\_Pudding](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorkshire_Pudding)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2017, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-universal-definition-of-bacon/805356/69 "2017-12-30T12:14:20Z")
It’s a broader category here in the UK. American Bacon would be recognised as being a sub-type of bacon here: we’d call it “smoked streaky bacon” (streaky is a fairly obvious reference to its appearance; US bacon is generally smoked, it seems). If you asked for bacon in the UK and received smoked streaky, it would be a bit unusual, but not as freakish as the other way round: i.e. if you asked for bacon in the US and got anything other than smoked streaky it would cause outrage and scandal… Generic “bacon” in Britain is cured, “green” (unsmoked) loin. Although known as “back bacon” to distinguish it from other types, if you say “bacon” without qualification, that’s what you’re likely to get. So the point of intersection on the bacon Venn diagram would seem to be cured meat from the back or belly of a pig. A need to specify which specific cut and whether or not it’s smoked varies regionally. I make my own; being a Brit it’s usually loin and I don’t routinely smoke it. I grind bay, thyme, juniper, peppercorns and dark brown sugar in with my curing salts and, though I say so myself, it’s chuffing delicious. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2017, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-universal-definition-of-bacon/805356/70 "2017-12-30T12:24:11Z")
> [@Yorkshire\_Pudding](#): > > I make my own; being a Brit it’s usually loin and I don’t routinely smoke it. I grind bay, thyme, juniper, peppercorns and dark brown sugar in with my curing salts and, though I say so myself, it’s chuffing delicious. Not happy with using “rasher,” youse guys throw in “chuffing.” Why can’t you use simple English? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2017, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-universal-definition-of-bacon/805356/71 "2017-12-30T14:51:27Z")
> [@buddha\_david](#): > > Makes perfect sense. It’s kinda like how no one says “Chinese food” in China. It’s just…food. But ordinary bacon (US kind) is also called bacon here. What Americans call Canadian bacon is called back bacon here. Incidentally, I have seen something called turkey bacon, so it cannot just be cured pork. Perhaps it is cured uncooked meat. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2017, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-universal-definition-of-bacon/805356/72 "2017-12-30T15:18:32Z")
> [@TBG](#): > > bolding mine > > There is REAL american cheese that’s not just processed or slices. It’s been discussed on this board many times. > > [Imgur: The magic of the Internet](https://i.imgur.com/ORpLHbG.jpg) That is a processed cheese, though. There are three types according to US laws: Pasteurized process cheese – this is stuff like Kraft Deli Deluxe cheese, Provel, and the Dietz and Watson one you linked to ([Their website lists it as such](http://dietzandwatson.com/products/american-cheese-3/).) Pasteurized process cheese product – this is the Kraft Singles and Velveeta type cheeses Pasteurized process cheese spread – self-explanatory. Stuff like Kaukauna and Merkts’ There’s nothing wrong with processed cheese, but even those deli blocks are processed. [More here if you want to get into the nitty gritty](http://www.seriouseats.com/2016/07/whats-really-in-american-cheese.html). And there are ways of making processed cheese at home, using sodium citrate or even gelatin (just Google). Why would you want to do this? Because you enjoy the meltability and smooth texture of processed cheeses and want to make your own using your custom blend of cheeses. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2017, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-universal-definition-of-bacon/805356/73 "2017-12-30T15:41:17Z")
just tell people it was invented in Switzerland, then all of a sudden it’ll be ok. ---
**Author:** ![Yorkshire\_Pudding](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/59ef9b/32.png) [@Yorkshire\_Pudding](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorkshire_Pudding)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2017, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-universal-definition-of-bacon/805356/74 "2017-12-30T16:57:20Z")
> [@Hari\_Seldon](#): > > Incidentally, I have seen something called turkey bacon, so it cannot just be cured pork. Perhaps it is cured uncooked meat. I think that’s sort of figurative though. Bacon is pretty definitively pork-based, and “turkey bacon” would never be referred to simply as “bacon” without its qualifying poultry prefix. It’s effectively shorthand for “turkey prepared in the style of bacon” or “bacon style product made from turkey instead of pork”. Baconesque, not bacon. ---
**Author:** ![Yorkshire\_Pudding](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/59ef9b/32.png) [@Yorkshire\_Pudding](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorkshire_Pudding)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2017, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-universal-definition-of-bacon/805356/75 "2017-12-31T00:47:23Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > Not happy with using “rasher,” youse guys throw in “chuffing.” > > Why can’t you use simple English? 😃 Ha! Two cultures divided, etc, etc… Actually, “rasher” is relatively unusual in British English these days. It’s not obsolete, but “slice” is now more common, really. In Irish English, “rasher” is apparently still going strong. Not sure they say “chuffing” over there though… ---
**Author:** ![dstarfire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dstarfire/32/5762_2.png) [@dstarfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dstarfire)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2017, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-universal-definition-of-bacon/805356/76 "2017-12-31T06:15:05Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > Not happy with using “rasher,” youse guys throw in “chuffing.” Chuffing is what a tiger does … while eating bacon. Turkey bacon falls into the same category of turkey hot dogs, turkey jerky, turkey sausage\*, and the like: a pale imitation for people who don’t want or can’t have the real thing. - specifically ground or link breakfast-type sausages. Turkey is a common and acceptable ingredient in low-quality hot dogs/franks, kielbasa, “smoked sausage”, and the like. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2017, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-universal-definition-of-bacon/805356/77 "2017-12-31T13:06:59Z")
> [@dstarfire](#): > > Chuffing is what a tiger does … while eating bacon. > > Turkey bacon falls into the same category of turkey hot dogs, turkey jerky, turkey sausage\*, and the like: a pale imitation for people who don’t want or can’t have the real thing. > > - specifically ground or link breakfast-type sausages. Turkey is a common and acceptable ingredient in low-quality hot dogs/franks, kielbasa, “smoked sausage”, and the like. We live near a turkey farm. We eat a lot of turkey. I’ve grown to prefer many turkey versions over the real thing. In particular, turkey ham salad is excellent. I’ve done taste tests with friends and family who try to distinguish ham salad from turkey ham salad and the results have been spectacular. If you ever try this, the way to tell is that the real ham salad will occasionally have a piece of gristle, which you never find in the turkey ham salad. ---
**Author:** ![Penfeather](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penfeather/32/384_2.png) [@Penfeather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Penfeather)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2017, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-universal-definition-of-bacon/805356/78 "2017-12-31T23:30:27Z")
> [@Banquet\_Bear](#): > > …in New Zealand its all just called bacon. You just buy the type you like. Middle and shoulder are most common: but streaky has its fair share of proponents. > > [Bacon available at a NZ supermarket.](https://shop.countdown.co.nz/Shop/Browse/breakfast-foods/bacon) [Gammon!](https://www.hollybacon.co.nz/shop/holly-rolled-gammon/) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-universal-definition-of-bacon/805356.md?page=3)