Regional Differences: Bacon

**MakeFast** · 10-01-2009, 05:52 PM

Okay, so I come from the south and I love food (I think all southerners do). Besides for the PNW having some VERY weird ideas of what "southern food" is, I have noticed a regional difference in one of my favorite foods: bacon.

I bought bacon to make Carbonara. I love my bacon thick cut, slightly salty. So I bought regular thick-cut bacon (which in the south has a bit of salt in it).

It was cured with maple syrup. The crap hung around in my cast iron skillet. Carbonara was not good. I was upset.

Then I thought to make a some BLT's (a favorite of the wifes) and bought a different type of plain old thick cut bacon. Tasted like it was packed with brown sugar along the way, and no saltiness.

Does New Seasons and Safeway just suck and buy the wrong kind of bacon, or is bacon here typically sweet? Going out to eat, we tend to get more run of the mill bacon (no strong sweet or salty flavors) but the 2-3 times we have bought it, it was sweet.

Am I ruined on high-quality thick cut bacon? Are there serious regional differences in what type of bacon is produced?

I mean, all bacon is good...I just think the salty stuff is better.

**karpiel** · 10-01-2009, 06:11 PM

Maybe READ THE FUCKING INGREDIENTS?

Is this the first time you have bought bacon by yourself?

**Sparky** · 10-01-2009, 06:15 PM

There are differences,

Some etmology: The British / Irish / French probably invented the stuff. c.1330, meat from the back and sides of a pig (originally either fresh or cured). The Dutch, Germans, Italians, and Spanish each have their own delicious and original take on bacon.

Well worth traveling to check it all out.

American Bacon: some very good, but some rank, and eastern European bacon... meh

**Gripen** · 10-01-2009, 06:22 PM

Maple bacon is for breakfast dumbass, you dont actually cook with it. Go to the meat dept and get some good bacon if you want to do that.

Reading. It's pretty essential.

**hop** · 10-01-2009, 06:24 PM

I will say that the bacon in Scotland was the best of the bacon-type meats I've ever had.

Rashers = £££££££

**MakeFast** · 10-01-2009, 06:27 PM

Originally Posted by Gripen

Maple bacon is for breakfast dumbass, you dont actually cook with it. Go to the meat dept and get some good bacon if you want to do that.

Reading. It's pretty essential.

Yeah, I bought the first batch from the meat department (the stuff that was maple cured), it wasn't obvious it was maple cured until the crap leaked out when it was about 50% done. And I tried eating the leftovers for breakfast - it was terrible.

The second batch made no mention of brown sugar in the ingredient list (since they get away with "spices" as an ingredient).

I'm not a moron, I am just wondering if anyone else has seen this. I had never had 'sweet' bacon before - and it seems to be all there is up here.

ML · 10-01-2009, 06:28 PM

The ad at the top of my screen is for BaconSalt!

**emtnate** · 10-01-2009, 06:29 PM

here in Indiana you can walk into any meat market and get high quality thick cut, slightly salty bacon. Maple cured bacon is pretty common as well, it depends on what you ask for. I don't buy the crap from the grocery store.

Of course we are a large producer of pork for the rest of your guys.

Ask for salt pork?

edit: after reading the comments posted while I was typing, maybe the problem is where you are shopping. Go to a butcher.