# Why is cured cooked meat associated with breakfast? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 23, 2017, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-cured-cooked-meat-associated-with-breakfast/787289 "2017-05-23T16:49:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2017, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-cured-cooked-meat-associated-with-breakfast/787289/1 "2017-05-23T16:49:01Z")
What is the logic behind the fact that (in the US and UK at least) the meats associated with a cooked breakfast are almost always cured and cooked? (e.g.: bacon, sausage, ham) I assume it is something to do with the preservative effect of curing, but why would that make it more suited to breakfast, rather than other meals? ---
**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:** [May 23, 2017, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-cured-cooked-meat-associated-with-breakfast/787289/2 "2017-05-23T16:55:27Z")
breakfast sausage is usually not cured. ---
**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:** [May 23, 2017, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-cured-cooked-meat-associated-with-breakfast/787289/3 "2017-05-23T17:06:45Z")
> [@jz78817](#): > > breakfast sausage is usually not cured. Indeed. And bacon and ham are regularly consumed for other meals, too. As to why, I’d guess quickness/ease of preparation? They’re already salted, spiced, and usually just take a couple minutes to fry up. And we do have other non-cured meats for breakfast, too, like steak & eggs, chorizo & eggs, and roast beef hash (though not as common as its cured corned beef hash counterpart.) ---
**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:** [May 23, 2017, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-cured-cooked-meat-associated-with-breakfast/787289/4 "2017-05-23T17:18:52Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Indeed. And bacon and ham are regularly consumed for other meals, too. > > As to why, I’d guess quickness/ease of preparation? They’re already salted, spiced, and usually just take a couple minutes to fry up. And we do have other non-cured meats for breakfast, too, like steak & eggs, chorizo & eggs, and roast beef hash (though not as common as its cured corned beef hash counterpart.) plus the bacon/sausage provides enough fat to cook the rest; fry up the bacon, then use the bacon fat for the eggs and finally the hash browns. only one pan necessary. ---
**Author:** ![Quercus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/7ab992/32.png) [@Quercus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quercus)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2017, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-cured-cooked-meat-associated-with-breakfast/787289/5 "2017-05-23T17:38:46Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > As to why, I’d guess quickness/ease of preparation? They’re already salted, spiced, and usually just take a couple minutes to fry up. This sounds plausible to me (maybe roast beef is good for breakfast, but who wants to have breakfast at noon?) Possibly also, most people don’t like too heavy a breakfast most of the time, so a small amount of meat with lots of flavor is better than a larger amount of less intensely flavored meat. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2017, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-cured-cooked-meat-associated-with-breakfast/787289/6 "2017-05-23T18:35:16Z")
Seems to me that you’d want to raid the pantry for your first meal, then go out and fish or hunt to find your next meals of the day - to be consumed wholly, not left over for breakfast. Even if you’re working in a factory or something, whoever is at home can go out and buy & prepare your dinner meats for that night. Once again, to be fully consumed. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2017, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-cured-cooked-meat-associated-with-breakfast/787289/7 "2017-05-23T18:50:40Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > Seems to me that you’d want to raid the pantry for your first meal, then go out and fish or hunt to find your next meals of the day - to be consumed wholly, not left over for breakfast. > > Even if you’re working in a factory or something, whoever is at home can go out and buy & prepare your dinner meats for that night. Once again, to be fully consumed. Probably this very generally. Just heat up the cured meat, or cook something thin and fast like bacon or sausage. I don’t know how common these meats were in the past, some of it might just be the result of marketing, just like cereal for breakfast. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2017, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-cured-cooked-meat-associated-with-breakfast/787289/8 "2017-05-23T18:56:35Z")
It also provides a smokey counterpoint to the blandness of eggs or the sweetness of maple syrup. ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2017, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-cured-cooked-meat-associated-with-breakfast/787289/9 "2017-05-23T19:02:51Z")
> [@Quercus](#): > > This sounds plausible to me (maybe roast beef is good for breakfast, but who wants to have breakfast at noon?) I’ve never been one to believe in that whole ‘certain foods are for certain meals only’ stuff. So, to answer your question, I would like to have breakfast at noon or even at 6pm or any other time. ---
**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:** [May 23, 2017, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-cured-cooked-meat-associated-with-breakfast/787289/10 "2017-05-23T19:06:03Z")
> [@Kimballkid](#): > > I’ve never been one to believe in that whole ‘certain foods are for certain meals only’ stuff. So, to answer your question, I would like to have breakfast at noon or even at 6pm or any other time. There is this, too. Plenty of cultures don’t have the same associations with “breakfast” as Westerners do (and, even in the West, there is a lot of divergence as to what constituted a breakfast meal.) That said, the OP did specify US and UK. ---
**Author:** ![john\_b\_2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a9a28c/32.png) [@john\_b\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/john_b_2)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2017, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-cured-cooked-meat-associated-with-breakfast/787289/11 "2017-05-23T19:39:57Z")
Cured meat tastes good. If a person is reluctant or disinclined to eat for some reason the addition of some kind of cured meat is a “convincer”. Eat! It’s good for you. Tastes good, too. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2017, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-cured-cooked-meat-associated-with-breakfast/787289/12 "2017-05-23T20:05:08Z")
Bacon became associated with Breakfast because people who sell bacon wanted to sell more bacon and hired an ad company who said, “Hell, eat it for breakfast”. And so it was done. ---
**Author:** ![Drummond\_Bays](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8edcca/32.png) [@Drummond\_Bays](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drummond_Bays)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2017, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-cured-cooked-meat-associated-with-breakfast/787289/13 "2017-05-24T00:03:13Z")
> [@Kimballkid](#): > > I’ve never been one to believe in that whole ‘certain foods are for certain meals only’ stuff. So, to answer your question, I would like to have breakfast at noon or even at 6pm or any other time. ‘Breakfast for dinner.’ (Typical meat, eggs, toast, taters, etc.) Is one of the best, especially if one has not actually had breakfast that day! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2017, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-cured-cooked-meat-associated-with-breakfast/787289/14 "2017-05-24T00:12:52Z")
Most farms had a smokehouse and chickens in a pen. Cows in the barn. That’s a quick supply of cured pork, eggs, and milk. Breakfast had to be prepared quickly. Men had to get to the fields and work. Breakfast is a meal that can be prepared quickly. We occasionally make it for dinner. We want a quick meal after a long day at work. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2017, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-cured-cooked-meat-associated-with-breakfast/787289/15 "2017-05-24T00:22:41Z")
It is interesting that Brits have a similar tradational breakfast. With a few key differences. A Fry-Up has the standard eggs and bacon & sausage. They add baked beans, fried bread, and sliced tomatoes. The link lists other optional items. That should fill up anybody. 😃 > **[Your Guide to a Full English Breakfast (Fry-Up)](https://www.seriouseats.com/guide-to-a-fry-up-full-british-breakfast-what-is-in-ingredients)** > > Breakfast. The Full English. The Full Monty. A fry-up. Call it what you want, but there are few nations in this world that do breakfast better than the British. Digging into a piping hot fry up is a is an experience that can set you right no matter... ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2017, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-cured-cooked-meat-associated-with-breakfast/787289/16 "2017-05-24T00:59:56Z")
> [@Quimby](#): > > Bacon became associated with Breakfast because people who sell bacon wanted to sell more bacon and hired an ad company who said, “Hell, eat it for breakfast”. And so it was done. The first [ready-to-eat breakfast cereal was invented in 1863](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breakfast_cereal#Ready-to-eat_.28RTE.29). Before then “cereal” was porridge, grits or oatmeal that had to be cooked for a relatively long time. Bacon, on the other hand, can be traced back to at least 12th century England, and sausage is mentioned by Homer. I think it’s more likely that cereal was the product that needed marketing to catch on. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2017, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-cured-cooked-meat-associated-with-breakfast/787289/17 "2017-05-24T01:24:00Z")
> [@Quimby](#): > > Bacon became associated with Breakfast because people who sell bacon wanted to sell more bacon and hired an ad company who said, “Hell, eat it for breakfast”. And so it was done. Sadly, this is also the answer to MOST questions. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2017, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-cured-cooked-meat-associated-with-breakfast/787289/18 "2017-05-24T01:42:23Z")
Because it’s easy to store and can be prepared quickly. ---
**Author:** ![Alan\_Smithee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/2acd7d/32.png) [@Alan\_Smithee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alan_Smithee)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2017, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-cured-cooked-meat-associated-with-breakfast/787289/19 "2017-05-24T04:27:09Z")
> [@Quimby](#): > > Bacon became associated with Breakfast because people who sell bacon wanted to sell more bacon and hired an ad company who said, “Hell, eat it for breakfast”. And so it was done. Do you have a cite, or is this just speculation? ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2017, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-cured-cooked-meat-associated-with-breakfast/787289/20 "2017-05-24T05:15:15Z")
> [@griffin1977](#): > > What is the logic behind the fact that (in the US and UK at least) the meats associated with a cooked breakfast are almost always cured and cooked? (e.g.: bacon, sausage, ham) > > I assume it is something to do with the preservative effect of curing, but why would that make it more suited to breakfast, rather than other meals? Nope. It’s loaded with salt, Maillard effect, grease, more Maillard effect, and salt. Who can hate it? > [@Ukulele\_Ike](#): > > Sadly, this is also the answer to MOST questions. I mean, duh. > [@Alan\_Smithee](#): > > Do you have a cite, or is this just speculation? Looking for that cite! I have no recollection of my mom saying, “Shut up and eat it, it’s good for you.” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-cured-cooked-meat-associated-with-breakfast/787289.md?page=2)