1 00:00:08,760 --> 00:00:11,200 Speaker 1: Hello and welcome to food Stuff. I'm an Eeries and 2 00:00:11,400 --> 00:00:14,400 Speaker 1: I'm Lauren Folk. Bam and Annie. You wrote in a 3 00:00:14,480 --> 00:00:17,040 Speaker 1: question at the top of our outline today, a very 4 00:00:17,079 --> 00:00:18,599 Speaker 1: serious one. Would you like to it? Would you like 5 00:00:18,640 --> 00:00:23,200 Speaker 1: to share it with our listeners? Are you acon or 6 00:00:23,200 --> 00:00:27,800 Speaker 1: some bacon? You want to be a big pig? Two BOI? 7 00:00:29,840 --> 00:00:32,360 Speaker 1: Thank you, Laurence. Thanks for setting that up and letting 8 00:00:32,360 --> 00:00:34,280 Speaker 1: me letting me do. Lion King is one of my 9 00:00:34,320 --> 00:00:37,239 Speaker 1: favorite favorite films. Yes, and to Mont and Pumba are 10 00:00:37,320 --> 00:00:41,040 Speaker 1: very very important to my heart. So we're talking about bacon. 11 00:00:41,280 --> 00:00:44,760 Speaker 1: We are not the Lion King. No, but don't get 12 00:00:44,800 --> 00:00:50,479 Speaker 1: me started. Um. The US and Canada we've been in 13 00:00:50,520 --> 00:00:53,199 Speaker 1: the midst of kind of a bacon mania. That's what 14 00:00:53,280 --> 00:00:57,000 Speaker 1: it's called. It's called by people who study these things, 15 00:00:57,520 --> 00:01:01,080 Speaker 1: bacon mania. Yeah, we did not come up with the um. 16 00:01:01,080 --> 00:01:04,800 Speaker 1: A fun but superfluous study out of Canada showed that 17 00:01:06,000 --> 00:01:11,440 Speaker 1: respondents said they'd rather have bacon than sex. Wow. But 18 00:01:11,520 --> 00:01:16,120 Speaker 1: I got another question, equally serious. Has bacon jumped the shark? 19 00:01:16,319 --> 00:01:20,480 Speaker 1: I think it kind of sort of has. Oh no, Right, 20 00:01:20,480 --> 00:01:23,800 Speaker 1: when I was writing this doing the research, typing away 21 00:01:24,360 --> 00:01:28,360 Speaker 1: onion headline, pops up on my sorter feed. FDA cancels 22 00:01:28,400 --> 00:01:34,560 Speaker 1: bacon recall after finding US population already ate it. Oh, 23 00:01:34,720 --> 00:01:37,760 Speaker 1: it's funny because it's true. It is. We we do 24 00:01:37,840 --> 00:01:44,039 Speaker 1: like our bacon, We certainly do. But hey, bacon, what 25 00:01:44,240 --> 00:01:47,640 Speaker 1: is it? It is a salt cured, and often smoked 26 00:01:47,720 --> 00:01:50,400 Speaker 1: pork product from one of a couple of different parts 27 00:01:50,400 --> 00:01:52,560 Speaker 1: of a pig, depending on what style of bacon you're 28 00:01:52,560 --> 00:01:55,680 Speaker 1: talking about. American style bacon comes from the belly or 29 00:01:55,720 --> 00:01:58,640 Speaker 1: the side of the pig and has a perhaps even 30 00:01:58,760 --> 00:02:02,120 Speaker 1: mix of meat and fat. This cut is sometimes also 31 00:02:02,360 --> 00:02:06,160 Speaker 1: sold uncured as pork belly. Oh, I didn't know that. 32 00:02:07,000 --> 00:02:09,800 Speaker 1: Canadian bacon is a leaner cut from the loin, more 33 00:02:09,800 --> 00:02:12,880 Speaker 1: similar to what we Americans think of as ham. It 34 00:02:12,919 --> 00:02:16,639 Speaker 1: comes from the pig's back um around yeah, the loin, 35 00:02:16,960 --> 00:02:20,639 Speaker 1: and has most of the fat trimmed off. In the UK, 36 00:02:20,800 --> 00:02:22,880 Speaker 1: what we call bacon in the U s is known 37 00:02:22,919 --> 00:02:26,520 Speaker 1: as streaky bacon. Um. A side of bacon is called 38 00:02:26,560 --> 00:02:30,000 Speaker 1: a gammon, and a UK style slice is called a rasher. 39 00:02:30,320 --> 00:02:33,359 Speaker 1: A rashers are cut from the back and the side 40 00:02:33,400 --> 00:02:36,400 Speaker 1: of the pig, incorporating parts used in both American and 41 00:02:36,480 --> 00:02:40,120 Speaker 1: Canadian bacon. More fat is left on than in the 42 00:02:40,720 --> 00:02:43,960 Speaker 1: typical Canadian bacon style, and the meat is more marble 43 00:02:44,040 --> 00:02:47,880 Speaker 1: marbled with fat as well. Yeah, pan Chetta, which is 44 00:02:47,960 --> 00:02:50,640 Speaker 1: Italian style bacon, is also cut from that fatty belly 45 00:02:50,840 --> 00:02:53,880 Speaker 1: or or side, though it's not usually smoked. German style 46 00:02:53,880 --> 00:02:56,560 Speaker 1: bacon a k speck is also the same cut, and 47 00:02:56,600 --> 00:02:59,040 Speaker 1: it's commonly smoked with beech wood, which I've heard gives 48 00:02:59,040 --> 00:03:03,600 Speaker 1: it a distinctly different flavor experience than hickory smoked bacon, 49 00:03:03,600 --> 00:03:08,600 Speaker 1: which is pretty standard for American Yeah. Um, Spanish style 50 00:03:08,760 --> 00:03:11,760 Speaker 1: or tocino is also from the belly, though it's more 51 00:03:11,800 --> 00:03:14,799 Speaker 1: likely to be served in cubes rather than slices, and 52 00:03:14,840 --> 00:03:19,040 Speaker 1: it is only vaguely related to the Filipino breakfast food tchino. 53 00:03:20,280 --> 00:03:23,440 Speaker 1: Duly noted, Yeah, don't don't have time for it today. 54 00:03:25,280 --> 00:03:26,840 Speaker 1: I just wanted to say we got a lot of 55 00:03:26,840 --> 00:03:29,960 Speaker 1: bacon and stuff to pop. We really do. And emalogy wise, 56 00:03:30,000 --> 00:03:33,320 Speaker 1: bacon most likely comes from an old High German word 57 00:03:33,400 --> 00:03:37,320 Speaker 1: for buttock o bahole, which itself goes back to an 58 00:03:37,320 --> 00:03:41,840 Speaker 1: older German dialect word bat com. Old Dutch had bacon 59 00:03:42,360 --> 00:03:45,480 Speaker 1: and old French had but com lots of possibilities there 60 00:03:45,480 --> 00:03:48,200 Speaker 1: it could have come from any or all. Yeah. Really, 61 00:03:48,640 --> 00:03:52,119 Speaker 1: at first the term referred to all pork. It wasn't 62 00:03:52,200 --> 00:03:54,360 Speaker 1: until the mid sixteenth century that it came to me 63 00:03:54,520 --> 00:03:57,000 Speaker 1: a specific cut of pork, which is you can imagine, 64 00:03:57,040 --> 00:04:02,960 Speaker 1: makes research real interesting. Yeah, so that's what bacon is. 65 00:04:03,400 --> 00:04:08,000 Speaker 1: But how is it made? Well? Interestingly, a couple of 66 00:04:08,040 --> 00:04:11,640 Speaker 1: the very things that make bacon delicious also made it 67 00:04:11,720 --> 00:04:14,119 Speaker 1: safer to eat for a longer period of time, back 68 00:04:14,160 --> 00:04:17,160 Speaker 1: before refrigeration existed, and so that is why bacon is 69 00:04:17,200 --> 00:04:20,240 Speaker 1: made the way it is, which is um. Okay, So 70 00:04:20,480 --> 00:04:23,599 Speaker 1: whatever type of bacon you're talking about, you're gonna start 71 00:04:23,680 --> 00:04:28,240 Speaker 1: with a slab of pork belly side loin. It's trimmed 72 00:04:28,279 --> 00:04:31,080 Speaker 1: so that it will produce identical pieces when it's sliced. 73 00:04:31,440 --> 00:04:35,280 Speaker 1: Then you cure it. Traditionally that's applying a dry rub 74 00:04:35,320 --> 00:04:38,880 Speaker 1: of salt and probably sugar and spices. Salt and sugar 75 00:04:38,960 --> 00:04:42,960 Speaker 1: are both hygroscopic, meaning they draw water to them. This 76 00:04:43,040 --> 00:04:46,360 Speaker 1: dissolves the sugar and salt crystals, and via osmosis, they 77 00:04:46,440 --> 00:04:49,039 Speaker 1: enter the meat and push water out to the surface 78 00:04:49,040 --> 00:04:51,560 Speaker 1: where it can evaporate. A little bit more on that 79 00:04:51,640 --> 00:04:55,679 Speaker 1: in our salt episode, which is happening either right before 80 00:04:55,720 --> 00:05:00,000 Speaker 1: this or right after. It could be either, we never know. Mystery. 81 00:05:00,440 --> 00:05:03,760 Speaker 1: For mass production, it's more likely that a brine solution 82 00:05:03,800 --> 00:05:07,960 Speaker 1: of salt, sugar, nitrates or nitrates and spices will be 83 00:05:08,040 --> 00:05:10,080 Speaker 1: used instead of a dry rub. Either the meat will 84 00:05:10,120 --> 00:05:12,520 Speaker 1: be soaked in this brine or the brine will be 85 00:05:12,560 --> 00:05:16,720 Speaker 1: injected into the meat. This is quicker and easier to mecanize, 86 00:05:16,760 --> 00:05:20,120 Speaker 1: but has the same result of adding salt and sugar 87 00:05:20,400 --> 00:05:23,320 Speaker 1: to the meat. Uh yeah, however you do it. You 88 00:05:23,440 --> 00:05:27,599 Speaker 1: then let the slab hang out literally in a cool, 89 00:05:27,680 --> 00:05:30,360 Speaker 1: dry area for a period of time a few hours 90 00:05:30,400 --> 00:05:32,559 Speaker 1: up to a couple of weeks, to let the salt 91 00:05:32,600 --> 00:05:36,239 Speaker 1: and sugar do their work. This preserves the meat because 92 00:05:36,600 --> 00:05:39,600 Speaker 1: salt and sugar mess with any microorganisms that could get 93 00:05:39,600 --> 00:05:42,160 Speaker 1: in and start breaking the meat down and making it spoil. 94 00:05:42,560 --> 00:05:44,640 Speaker 1: And they do that in a couple of ways. They 95 00:05:44,680 --> 00:05:48,320 Speaker 1: interfere with the microbes enzymes and DNA, and they remove 96 00:05:48,400 --> 00:05:53,440 Speaker 1: the microbes water supply, which they need. Yeah. So when 97 00:05:53,600 --> 00:05:56,240 Speaker 1: the meat is done curing, you wash the slab to 98 00:05:56,279 --> 00:05:59,040 Speaker 1: remove any residues. And then if you're smoking the meat, 99 00:05:59,120 --> 00:06:02,120 Speaker 1: and traditionally speaking, you are you place the slab in 100 00:06:02,160 --> 00:06:05,680 Speaker 1: a chamber that that captures the smoke from damp, low 101 00:06:05,760 --> 00:06:09,880 Speaker 1: heat smoldering wood, thus infusing the meat with the smoke. 102 00:06:10,400 --> 00:06:12,320 Speaker 1: This takes a few days, during which the meat also 103 00:06:12,400 --> 00:06:15,039 Speaker 1: dries out a little bit more, and the albeit mild 104 00:06:15,080 --> 00:06:20,520 Speaker 1: heat and smoke particles are also anti microbial. For mass production, 105 00:06:20,560 --> 00:06:24,360 Speaker 1: the meat will be thermally processed with or without smoke 106 00:06:24,440 --> 00:06:28,160 Speaker 1: from some moistened sawdust. Probably this is done quickly in 107 00:06:28,279 --> 00:06:31,640 Speaker 1: high temperature ovens. Instead of literally smoking the meat, you 108 00:06:31,680 --> 00:06:34,839 Speaker 1: might add liquid smoke for flavoring, which is an industrial 109 00:06:34,880 --> 00:06:37,320 Speaker 1: product that is made of smoke, and man, I want 110 00:06:37,360 --> 00:06:39,240 Speaker 1: to do a whole episode on it now, I had 111 00:06:39,279 --> 00:06:42,000 Speaker 1: no idea. UM. I don't think it has the same 112 00:06:42,040 --> 00:06:48,359 Speaker 1: anti microbial properties of traditional airborne smoke, but since we 113 00:06:48,400 --> 00:06:53,799 Speaker 1: have refrigeration now, that doesn't particularly matter. Mass produced bacon, 114 00:06:53,880 --> 00:06:57,279 Speaker 1: and especially the super fast process injection cured stuff, which 115 00:06:57,279 --> 00:06:58,840 Speaker 1: which happens over the course of like a couple of 116 00:06:58,880 --> 00:07:01,239 Speaker 1: hours rather than this whole like multi day or multi 117 00:07:01,279 --> 00:07:04,920 Speaker 1: week process. Um, it retains more liquid and can even 118 00:07:04,960 --> 00:07:09,200 Speaker 1: exceed its original uncured slab in weight due to that 119 00:07:09,240 --> 00:07:11,960 Speaker 1: added liquid. Though not if you want to be able 120 00:07:12,000 --> 00:07:14,200 Speaker 1: to call it bacon here in the United States, thank 121 00:07:14,240 --> 00:07:19,200 Speaker 1: you very much. Yeah. Yeah, Cured bacon has to have 122 00:07:19,720 --> 00:07:23,800 Speaker 1: less less than or equal weight to the original stuff. 123 00:07:24,680 --> 00:07:30,240 Speaker 1: The original uncured to be called bacon. Well, alright, then 124 00:07:30,360 --> 00:07:34,280 Speaker 1: that'll show you there's a lot of bigger finger point happening. 125 00:07:34,560 --> 00:07:38,560 Speaker 1: I'm not sure at who, but you know you the 126 00:07:38,560 --> 00:07:43,320 Speaker 1: bacon producer. Ah, yes, right, huh, And that's it. You've 127 00:07:43,320 --> 00:07:45,480 Speaker 1: turned a slab of pork into a slab of bacon. 128 00:07:45,600 --> 00:07:47,960 Speaker 1: It is ready to be chilled and sliced. I love 129 00:07:47,960 --> 00:07:58,120 Speaker 1: your use of that's it liquid smoke, thermal processing. That's it. Do. Yeah. 130 00:07:58,160 --> 00:08:01,560 Speaker 1: There is also shelf stable bay again, which is bacon 131 00:08:01,600 --> 00:08:03,640 Speaker 1: that has been processed like this or meat that has 132 00:08:03,680 --> 00:08:07,040 Speaker 1: been processed like this to create bacon, and then sliced 133 00:08:07,080 --> 00:08:10,800 Speaker 1: and pre cooked so that its water activity is at 134 00:08:10,960 --> 00:08:15,080 Speaker 1: or below zero point eight five, which means that bacteria 135 00:08:15,080 --> 00:08:20,120 Speaker 1: cannot grow in it. Right. Yeah, if you're looking to 136 00:08:20,200 --> 00:08:27,520 Speaker 1: hear that bacon is good for you, Uh, well, this 137 00:08:27,560 --> 00:08:31,640 Speaker 1: isn't really the podcast for you, I suppose no. Maybe, yeah, 138 00:08:32,120 --> 00:08:34,040 Speaker 1: just play music really loud, but for the next like 139 00:08:34,080 --> 00:08:40,400 Speaker 1: two minutes. Um, Okay, bacon always has salt, since it's 140 00:08:40,480 --> 00:08:43,080 Speaker 1: used for curing the meat, and it also is useful 141 00:08:43,120 --> 00:08:46,360 Speaker 1: in prohibiting back to your growth. Nitrite is another thing 142 00:08:46,400 --> 00:08:49,440 Speaker 1: that's present in a lot of bacon products, primarily to 143 00:08:50,559 --> 00:08:56,240 Speaker 1: prevent toxin and ran rancidness happening. Yeah, nitrites are really 144 00:08:56,280 --> 00:09:01,120 Speaker 1: good at preventing Claustroodium botulinum growth, which causes botulism, which 145 00:09:01,160 --> 00:09:04,000 Speaker 1: you don't want, no, no, uh. And that's also it 146 00:09:04,040 --> 00:09:06,280 Speaker 1: gives it that pink hue which right come up a 147 00:09:06,280 --> 00:09:10,760 Speaker 1: couple of times that the nitrites not this batulus, not botulism. No. 148 00:09:11,760 --> 00:09:16,000 Speaker 1: Other additives you might find on bacon labels are spices, flavorings, maple, sugar, 149 00:09:16,080 --> 00:09:19,800 Speaker 1: and would smoke. Serving size of bacon, which is usually 150 00:09:19,800 --> 00:09:23,240 Speaker 1: three slices, will run you on calories, nine grams of fat, 151 00:09:23,440 --> 00:09:26,760 Speaker 1: seven point five grams of protein, thirty milligrams of cholesterol, 152 00:09:27,040 --> 00:09:31,400 Speaker 1: and four D thirty five milligrams of sodium. Um. That's 153 00:09:31,440 --> 00:09:34,440 Speaker 1: kind of a bunch. Yeah. Yeah, we just did the 154 00:09:34,480 --> 00:09:37,720 Speaker 1: salt episode right before this, so yeah, it is a 155 00:09:37,800 --> 00:09:42,439 Speaker 1: very calorie dense food. Yeah. According to one study out 156 00:09:42,440 --> 00:09:45,600 Speaker 1: of Columbia University, consumption of bacon and other cured meats 157 00:09:45,880 --> 00:09:49,640 Speaker 1: was related to an increase in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, 158 00:09:49,920 --> 00:09:53,679 Speaker 1: which the researchers hypothesize is due to the sodium nitrates. 159 00:09:54,240 --> 00:09:57,280 Speaker 1: They also posited that eating bacon could be bad for 160 00:09:57,320 --> 00:10:00,199 Speaker 1: your arteries and blood vessels, which in turn could lead 161 00:10:00,200 --> 00:10:03,680 Speaker 1: to an increased risk of heart disease. The Harvard School 162 00:10:03,720 --> 00:10:05,480 Speaker 1: of Public Health came out with a study in two 163 00:10:05,480 --> 00:10:09,199 Speaker 1: thousand ten that suggested consumption of meats that were processed 164 00:10:09,280 --> 00:10:13,480 Speaker 1: through either smoking, carrying, or salting was linked to increased 165 00:10:13,559 --> 00:10:17,720 Speaker 1: risk of diabetes and once again heart disease. Another study 166 00:10:17,960 --> 00:10:20,200 Speaker 1: from Harvard found that men who ate a lot of 167 00:10:20,200 --> 00:10:24,760 Speaker 1: processed meats had lower sperm couts. Lots of factors involved there, though, 168 00:10:26,080 --> 00:10:30,120 Speaker 1: um One positive study from University of North Carolina a 169 00:10:30,200 --> 00:10:34,600 Speaker 1: micro nurture at present in pork bacon called colin might 170 00:10:34,640 --> 00:10:37,080 Speaker 1: be good for the brain development of babies in the womb. 171 00:10:38,040 --> 00:10:41,760 Speaker 1: Another positive study from Nature Chemical Biology found that niacin, 172 00:10:41,880 --> 00:10:44,480 Speaker 1: or vitamin B three present in foods like bacon, might 173 00:10:44,559 --> 00:10:47,400 Speaker 1: help you live a bit longer. However, you can get 174 00:10:47,480 --> 00:10:52,200 Speaker 1: niacin from other non bacon healthier sources. Yes, but you 175 00:10:52,280 --> 00:10:53,880 Speaker 1: know the jewel and all of this. Our bodies are 176 00:10:53,880 --> 00:10:57,880 Speaker 1: complicated more research is needed. Take it with a grain 177 00:10:57,960 --> 00:11:02,640 Speaker 1: of salt. Yeah. Oh, and here here's another question for you, Lauren. 178 00:11:04,600 --> 00:11:10,199 Speaker 1: Is bacon better for you than tilapia? What? What? I've 179 00:11:10,280 --> 00:11:12,959 Speaker 1: never heard of this either, but we had a couple 180 00:11:13,000 --> 00:11:17,720 Speaker 1: of listeners has emailed in about this, and apparently it 181 00:11:17,800 --> 00:11:21,240 Speaker 1: was a popular click baity headline like a year or 182 00:11:21,280 --> 00:11:25,640 Speaker 1: so ago. Okay, the claim was tilapia caused cancer and 183 00:11:25,679 --> 00:11:30,640 Speaker 1: maybe also Alzheimer's, therefore you're better off eating bacon. Oh. Yeah, 184 00:11:30,760 --> 00:11:33,000 Speaker 1: that doesn't sound like it's taking all of the factors 185 00:11:33,920 --> 00:11:38,040 Speaker 1: into consideration in the tilapia versus bacon. It seems kind 186 00:11:38,080 --> 00:11:43,079 Speaker 1: of productive. Um, but as you may suspect, yeah, it's untrue. 187 00:11:43,120 --> 00:11:46,040 Speaker 1: The River's stand from two thousand eight paper out of 188 00:11:46,080 --> 00:11:49,760 Speaker 1: the Journal of the American Dietetic Association that found, in 189 00:11:49,800 --> 00:11:52,560 Speaker 1: so many words, telapia wasn't a good choice for people 190 00:11:52,600 --> 00:11:56,120 Speaker 1: who were eating it to control inflammatory diseases, and that 191 00:11:56,640 --> 00:12:01,120 Speaker 1: if you disregard all other nutritional information, bacon and hamburger 192 00:12:01,280 --> 00:12:04,880 Speaker 1: had less of an inflammatory potential. Yeah, but that's if 193 00:12:04,880 --> 00:12:09,720 Speaker 1: you disregard everything else. Um. So many experts distributed the claim, 194 00:12:09,880 --> 00:12:12,960 Speaker 1: especially after the media ran with the headline bacon better 195 00:12:12,960 --> 00:12:16,400 Speaker 1: for you than tlabia. The study author claimed he never 196 00:12:16,480 --> 00:12:19,400 Speaker 1: intended to paint talapia as the cause of anything bad, 197 00:12:19,760 --> 00:12:21,560 Speaker 1: but that he believed he should be eating fish with 198 00:12:21,600 --> 00:12:25,120 Speaker 1: more make a threes like salmon. Reading about the study 199 00:12:25,440 --> 00:12:29,040 Speaker 1: seems like there were some problems with the methodology um 200 00:12:29,080 --> 00:12:31,360 Speaker 1: and as for the Alzheimer's claim, that seems to be 201 00:12:31,440 --> 00:12:35,839 Speaker 1: on shaky scientific ground as well. There are very conflicting studies. 202 00:12:36,600 --> 00:12:39,800 Speaker 1: And as for the cancer things specifically, there was a 203 00:12:39,920 --> 00:12:42,880 Speaker 1: story floating around that talapia had ten times the amount 204 00:12:42,920 --> 00:12:48,240 Speaker 1: of carcinogens of other fish. That number does not seem 205 00:12:48,320 --> 00:12:52,240 Speaker 1: to bear out the future episode for sure, But short 206 00:12:52,360 --> 00:12:55,160 Speaker 1: version is that overall, no, bacon is not better for 207 00:12:55,240 --> 00:13:00,600 Speaker 1: you than tilapia. No, no, generally, generally generally not I mean, 208 00:13:01,240 --> 00:13:04,640 Speaker 1: I don't know. Yeah, oh food food reporters do better. 209 00:13:05,040 --> 00:13:10,040 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, yeah, it's a problem. And like science, I 210 00:13:10,040 --> 00:13:12,840 Speaker 1: feel like a lot of times you're trying to sell paper, 211 00:13:12,920 --> 00:13:15,600 Speaker 1: not me specifically, but you know, and so you just 212 00:13:15,679 --> 00:13:20,200 Speaker 1: condense these complicated, nuanced scientific things to eat more bacon 213 00:13:20,480 --> 00:13:23,760 Speaker 1: right to something that will sell because someone like me 214 00:13:23,840 --> 00:13:26,720 Speaker 1: who loves bacon is like, okay, perfect science is telling 215 00:13:26,720 --> 00:13:30,439 Speaker 1: me more bacon. I am on board. Yeah, and then 216 00:13:30,880 --> 00:13:34,720 Speaker 1: another study comes out never eat bacon again, like, oh, 217 00:13:34,880 --> 00:13:36,640 Speaker 1: people do what they want to do is generally what 218 00:13:36,679 --> 00:13:40,680 Speaker 1: I'm saying, indeed, which is including eating a lot of bacons, 219 00:13:40,720 --> 00:13:44,440 Speaker 1: a whole bunch. Americans eight an average of eighteen pounds 220 00:13:44,440 --> 00:13:48,720 Speaker 1: of poor bacon a year as of UM. This is 221 00:13:49,280 --> 00:13:53,600 Speaker 1: five billion, seven sixty million pounds of bacon a year. 222 00:13:54,240 --> 00:13:56,200 Speaker 1: And if you take into account all of the religions 223 00:13:56,280 --> 00:13:59,600 Speaker 1: or diets that don't allow for pork, um, some of 224 00:13:59,679 --> 00:14:03,440 Speaker 1: us eat away more than that. Um. Seventies percent of 225 00:14:03,480 --> 00:14:06,920 Speaker 1: bacon is eating for breakfast in the US. Yes, um. 226 00:14:06,960 --> 00:14:09,680 Speaker 1: And there are, of course pork bacon alternatives, turkey bacon, 227 00:14:09,720 --> 00:14:13,640 Speaker 1: invitation bacon, a few weathers. Sure. Yeah. Bacon has seen 228 00:14:14,240 --> 00:14:18,160 Speaker 1: quite the rise in popularity. From two thousand one to 229 00:14:18,240 --> 00:14:20,600 Speaker 1: two thousand nine, the amount of bacon used in food 230 00:14:20,640 --> 00:14:24,040 Speaker 1: services rose by twenty five percent, and the annual growth 231 00:14:24,160 --> 00:14:27,240 Speaker 1: rate from two thousand eleven to two thirteen was two 232 00:14:27,240 --> 00:14:31,160 Speaker 1: point four. That same year, two US bacon sales were 233 00:14:31,200 --> 00:14:34,640 Speaker 1: four billion dollars. Yeah. This level of consumption led to 234 00:14:34,640 --> 00:14:36,920 Speaker 1: the lowest level of frozen pork belly in the US 235 00:14:37,000 --> 00:14:44,640 Speaker 1: inventory in December sixteen since nineteen fifty seven. Yeah, um, huh, 236 00:14:45,280 --> 00:14:48,760 Speaker 1: the US doesn't really import bacon, and grocery store bacon 237 00:14:48,800 --> 00:14:53,040 Speaker 1: is generally pretty cheap. Yeah yeah. And although there has 238 00:14:53,080 --> 00:14:57,560 Speaker 1: been that whole bacon mania thing here in North America, 239 00:14:57,800 --> 00:15:01,120 Speaker 1: the rest of the world likes it to Yeah. Um. 240 00:15:01,120 --> 00:15:04,200 Speaker 1: According to a company called more Door Intelligence, and I 241 00:15:04,240 --> 00:15:07,240 Speaker 1: cannot believe someone named a company that. Y'all Lord of 242 00:15:07,280 --> 00:15:09,880 Speaker 1: the Rings fans see me, I know you do. But 243 00:15:09,920 --> 00:15:13,920 Speaker 1: according to mord Or Intelligence, as often, the global market 244 00:15:14,080 --> 00:15:18,240 Speaker 1: for bacon was valued at about fifty six billion dollars. Whoa, 245 00:15:19,040 --> 00:15:21,720 Speaker 1: and it's expected to rise as the developing world grows 246 00:15:21,720 --> 00:15:25,440 Speaker 1: more able to afford meat products. I feel like More 247 00:15:25,520 --> 00:15:28,080 Speaker 1: Door Intelligence is what you could have called the Ring race. 248 00:15:28,440 --> 00:15:32,800 Speaker 1: Oh man, Yeah, totally. Someone should write talking a lot 249 00:15:32,840 --> 00:15:38,920 Speaker 1: he Lord of the Rings. But if it was like 250 00:15:39,120 --> 00:15:43,800 Speaker 1: a boring company anyway. Yes, I'm sure that fan fiction 251 00:15:43,840 --> 00:15:47,200 Speaker 1: exists somewhere. I'm positive after I read that Velvida fan fiction, 252 00:15:49,000 --> 00:15:52,200 Speaker 1: I would be hard pressed to believe that doesn't exist. 253 00:15:53,200 --> 00:15:56,200 Speaker 1: All Right, We've got a lot of history to talk about, 254 00:15:56,320 --> 00:15:59,320 Speaker 1: we do, yes, but first we have a quick break 255 00:15:59,360 --> 00:16:12,000 Speaker 1: for a word from our sponsor, and we're back, Thank you, sponsor. 256 00:16:13,720 --> 00:16:19,360 Speaker 1: The history of salted pork products goes way back, at 257 00:16:19,400 --> 00:16:22,240 Speaker 1: least thousands of years, back from when you'd find salted 258 00:16:22,280 --> 00:16:27,480 Speaker 1: pork belly on ancient Chinese tables. The rooman empire differentiated 259 00:16:27,520 --> 00:16:31,960 Speaker 1: between ham and shoulder bacon, which they called potasso. I 260 00:16:32,040 --> 00:16:34,360 Speaker 1: keep saying it like picasso in my head, but I 261 00:16:34,480 --> 00:16:39,440 Speaker 1: who knows potasso? Potasso? You say, you say potato, I 262 00:16:39,520 --> 00:16:43,400 Speaker 1: say passo. Um. You might dry salt or barrel the 263 00:16:43,480 --> 00:16:46,560 Speaker 1: meat in its own brine, each game with a particular 264 00:16:46,600 --> 00:16:49,720 Speaker 1: cooking method. According to the writings in a Picios, which 265 00:16:49,800 --> 00:16:53,240 Speaker 1: we have mentioned before on this very podcast, um it 266 00:16:53,360 --> 00:16:58,400 Speaker 1: described how both were first boiled with dried figs. Okay, yeah, 267 00:16:58,560 --> 00:17:01,600 Speaker 1: but hamm is typically baked, sometimes with some flour and paste, 268 00:17:01,600 --> 00:17:04,240 Speaker 1: and bacon was browned and intended to be served with 269 00:17:04,440 --> 00:17:08,520 Speaker 1: sauce of wine and pepper. That sounds good. Yeah. Bacon 270 00:17:08,640 --> 00:17:11,919 Speaker 1: was cheap and a key component of the peasant diet 271 00:17:12,240 --> 00:17:18,040 Speaker 1: in Europe. In twelveth century England, a small town church 272 00:17:18,240 --> 00:17:21,080 Speaker 1: would give any married man who would swear before the 273 00:17:21,119 --> 00:17:26,320 Speaker 1: congregation and God himself or herself. We're not saying yeah 274 00:17:26,359 --> 00:17:28,600 Speaker 1: that he had not argued with his wife for a 275 00:17:28,680 --> 00:17:32,200 Speaker 1: year and a day, he would be bequeathed a side 276 00:17:32,200 --> 00:17:35,360 Speaker 1: of bacon or a flitch of bacon. Thus, a man 277 00:17:35,440 --> 00:17:40,399 Speaker 1: who bought home the bacon was very respected in the community. Okay, 278 00:17:40,400 --> 00:17:43,119 Speaker 1: Over time, bringing home the bacon evolved to mean making 279 00:17:43,160 --> 00:17:46,720 Speaker 1: money for the home. That's where the phrase comes from. 280 00:17:46,760 --> 00:17:51,040 Speaker 1: Maybe probably maybe, Yeah, hard to pend these things down. Um. 281 00:17:51,080 --> 00:17:53,640 Speaker 1: Apparently this is still sort of a thing in the 282 00:17:53,680 --> 00:17:57,879 Speaker 1: town of Great Dunmo, where the phrase originated. Every four years, 283 00:17:58,160 --> 00:18:01,720 Speaker 1: married couples can take part in the Dunmo Flitch Trials. 284 00:18:02,080 --> 00:18:04,280 Speaker 1: This involves the couple appearing before a judge and jury 285 00:18:04,320 --> 00:18:07,760 Speaker 1: composed of six single dudes and six single ladies, and 286 00:18:07,840 --> 00:18:10,840 Speaker 1: doing their best to convince them that for one year 287 00:18:11,200 --> 00:18:14,479 Speaker 1: and one day they have not wished they weren't married. 288 00:18:15,720 --> 00:18:18,360 Speaker 1: If they convinced the judge and jury, the couple goes 289 00:18:18,400 --> 00:18:22,760 Speaker 1: home with a flitch of bacon. This is so delightful 290 00:18:22,840 --> 00:18:25,919 Speaker 1: to me. I'm so glad that this happened. I know 291 00:18:26,720 --> 00:18:28,879 Speaker 1: if anyone's ever witnessed this or been a part of it, 292 00:18:28,920 --> 00:18:32,919 Speaker 1: please write it absolutely. Christopher Columbus landed in Cuba with 293 00:18:33,000 --> 00:18:37,679 Speaker 1: eight pigs, but in nine, Hernando de Soto arrived to 294 00:18:37,800 --> 00:18:41,720 Speaker 1: the New World with thirteen pigs, and within three years 295 00:18:41,800 --> 00:18:45,680 Speaker 1: that number grew to seven hundred. Yeah, pretty fast. The 296 00:18:45,760 --> 00:18:49,800 Speaker 1: National Pork Board bestows De Soto with the title the 297 00:18:49,840 --> 00:18:54,040 Speaker 1: Father of the American pork industry. Yeah, pigs and bacon 298 00:18:54,080 --> 00:18:56,160 Speaker 1: were pretty much a part of the colonies and later 299 00:18:56,400 --> 00:19:01,080 Speaker 1: American diet from the starts. The brining was useful pre refrigeration. 300 00:19:02,400 --> 00:19:05,320 Speaker 1: Pigs and pork were allegedly a piece offering to the 301 00:19:05,400 --> 00:19:10,320 Speaker 1: Native Americans um given by Old War imperialists and conquerors, 302 00:19:10,320 --> 00:19:13,520 Speaker 1: like hey, here we are some pigs. Like that's going 303 00:19:13,560 --> 00:19:17,560 Speaker 1: to make it better. Yeah. In sixteen fifty three, the 304 00:19:17,600 --> 00:19:21,120 Speaker 1: Dutch were trying to build around a wall around Manhattan 305 00:19:21,160 --> 00:19:24,080 Speaker 1: Island to prevent entry by both the British and Native 306 00:19:24,080 --> 00:19:27,600 Speaker 1: Americans out of New Amsterdam, which is yeah, New York 307 00:19:27,920 --> 00:19:30,560 Speaker 1: on what eventually would become Wall Street. I did not 308 00:19:30,640 --> 00:19:33,600 Speaker 1: know that, but their progress was undermined by a large 309 00:19:33,600 --> 00:19:37,840 Speaker 1: group of pigs. Even into the nineteenth century, pigs ran 310 00:19:38,040 --> 00:19:41,639 Speaker 1: wild in the streets of New York. Law and wild pigs, 311 00:19:41,760 --> 00:19:46,760 Speaker 1: Wild pigs. That sounds terrifying, it actually does. And there's 312 00:19:46,800 --> 00:19:48,600 Speaker 1: a horror movie and I won't go into it, but 313 00:19:48,680 --> 00:19:50,800 Speaker 1: there's a scene with wild pigs, and ever since then 314 00:19:51,920 --> 00:19:54,000 Speaker 1: the movie was in Russian, and I remember that scene 315 00:19:54,080 --> 00:19:57,400 Speaker 1: so clear. I can't forget it. I must move on. 316 00:19:57,840 --> 00:20:01,320 Speaker 1: Author William Ellis wrote in sevente fifty, where there is 317 00:20:01,359 --> 00:20:04,239 Speaker 1: bread and bacon enough, there is no want. In the 318 00:20:04,280 --> 00:20:07,800 Speaker 1: northern parts of England, thousands of families eat little other 319 00:20:08,040 --> 00:20:10,800 Speaker 1: meat than bacon, and indeed in the southern parts more 320 00:20:10,840 --> 00:20:13,480 Speaker 1: than ever live on bacon. So it was a very 321 00:20:13,560 --> 00:20:18,520 Speaker 1: important part of the yea. Prior to the industrial evolution. 322 00:20:18,880 --> 00:20:21,600 Speaker 1: Most bacon was produced on local farms are perhaps in 323 00:20:21,640 --> 00:20:24,680 Speaker 1: your own home if you had pigs. Some city dwellers 324 00:20:24,680 --> 00:20:27,439 Speaker 1: in Britain even kept pigs in their basements before it 325 00:20:27,520 --> 00:20:31,240 Speaker 1: was outlawed in the nineteen thirties. Yeah, most bacon was 326 00:20:31,280 --> 00:20:33,680 Speaker 1: also drag creed, basically a longer way of carrying bacon 327 00:20:33,680 --> 00:20:38,679 Speaker 1: where you rub the salt on by hand caredlesoked. In 328 00:20:38,760 --> 00:20:43,440 Speaker 1: the seventeen seventies, John Harris Wiltshire set up the very 329 00:20:43,480 --> 00:20:47,679 Speaker 1: first business that in all large scale focused on bacon carrying. 330 00:20:48,280 --> 00:20:51,160 Speaker 1: From what I read, this is still the bacon producing 331 00:20:51,240 --> 00:20:55,119 Speaker 1: hub in Britain, so pretty successful. There and from there 332 00:20:55,119 --> 00:20:59,280 Speaker 1: this British born method of making bacon spread throughout Europe. 333 00:20:59,640 --> 00:21:02,960 Speaker 1: Sometimes between the seventeenth and eighteenth century, the Asian pig 334 00:21:03,119 --> 00:21:06,080 Speaker 1: was introduced in Europe and crossbed with local pigs to 335 00:21:06,119 --> 00:21:08,359 Speaker 1: produce a pig that allowed for better cuts of bacon. 336 00:21:09,000 --> 00:21:11,240 Speaker 1: Not just that, though, they also read breeds a pig, 337 00:21:11,280 --> 00:21:13,760 Speaker 1: better suit for ham, for lard, all kinds of things. 338 00:21:15,040 --> 00:21:20,440 Speaker 1: And let's us now turn to the nephew of Sigmund Freud, 339 00:21:21,240 --> 00:21:28,040 Speaker 1: one Edward Berne. That Edward Burns. Indeed that Edward burn 340 00:21:28,760 --> 00:21:30,520 Speaker 1: Some of y'all might not have heard of him, but um, 341 00:21:31,040 --> 00:21:33,879 Speaker 1: around the office, he's a pretty common name, mostly due 342 00:21:33,960 --> 00:21:36,680 Speaker 1: to the diligent work of Ben Bullen uh and stuff 343 00:21:36,720 --> 00:21:41,719 Speaker 1: they don't want you to know. Um. In the nineteen twenties, 344 00:21:41,800 --> 00:21:45,720 Speaker 1: Burnes was working in advertising and public relations and he 345 00:21:45,960 --> 00:21:50,280 Speaker 1: pretty much created it. Ye um. He was approached by 346 00:21:50,480 --> 00:21:53,400 Speaker 1: beech Nut Packing, a company that made a lot of products, 347 00:21:53,840 --> 00:21:57,640 Speaker 1: and they wanted to increase their sales of bacon. Barnes 348 00:21:57,720 --> 00:21:59,840 Speaker 1: was on the case. He went to the agency's on 349 00:22:00,040 --> 00:22:02,399 Speaker 1: call doctor and was like, Hey, don't you think that 350 00:22:02,440 --> 00:22:04,240 Speaker 1: a big breakfast would be a good thing for the 351 00:22:04,280 --> 00:22:07,359 Speaker 1: Americans like the most important meal of the day. What 352 00:22:07,480 --> 00:22:11,119 Speaker 1: you're saying. And I can just see like dollar signs 353 00:22:11,480 --> 00:22:17,120 Speaker 1: and the doctor's eyes as he's like yes, yes, and 354 00:22:17,160 --> 00:22:19,720 Speaker 1: he the doctor reached out to about five thousand of 355 00:22:19,800 --> 00:22:23,280 Speaker 1: his medical friends asking them to agree as well. And 356 00:22:23,400 --> 00:22:27,600 Speaker 1: agree they did. And the study, in heavy quotes, recommended 357 00:22:27,800 --> 00:22:30,160 Speaker 1: that your health, for your health Americans, you should eat 358 00:22:30,160 --> 00:22:33,280 Speaker 1: a heavier breakfast. And if you're looking for ideas, wow, 359 00:22:33,359 --> 00:22:38,120 Speaker 1: are we still just baking and eggs? Yeah? Curious. Yeah, 360 00:22:38,200 --> 00:22:40,960 Speaker 1: And this is where I got the idea for an episode. 361 00:22:40,960 --> 00:22:43,000 Speaker 1: We're going to start researching soon why do we eat 362 00:22:43,080 --> 00:22:45,160 Speaker 1: three meals a day? Because I never really thought about 363 00:22:45,800 --> 00:22:49,720 Speaker 1: so they kind of just made breakfast a thing then. Yeah, yeah, right, 364 00:22:50,080 --> 00:22:52,359 Speaker 1: be excited to look into that. Yeah, And we didn't 365 00:22:52,359 --> 00:22:55,160 Speaker 1: mention this in the banana episode, but Burnet has worked 366 00:22:55,200 --> 00:22:58,160 Speaker 1: with the United Fruit Company a kh Aqda to help 367 00:22:58,200 --> 00:23:00,159 Speaker 1: out with that coup that led to the overthrow of 368 00:23:00,200 --> 00:23:06,120 Speaker 1: the Guatemalan government. Yeah. These uh, there's a reason Ben 369 00:23:06,200 --> 00:23:12,560 Speaker 1: Boland talks about in the nineteen thirties, as Jewish American 370 00:23:12,560 --> 00:23:18,960 Speaker 1: culture started developing kosher beef bacon or bacon substitute. Really, 371 00:23:19,160 --> 00:23:21,720 Speaker 1: I hit the market called beef fry with an E 372 00:23:21,920 --> 00:23:25,640 Speaker 1: on the end um. During rationing of World War Two 373 00:23:25,840 --> 00:23:29,439 Speaker 1: in the nineteen forties, the American Fat Salvage Committee was 374 00:23:29,520 --> 00:23:32,760 Speaker 1: formed and called on housewives to save all the fats 375 00:23:32,800 --> 00:23:36,359 Speaker 1: you had left over from cooking. American Fat Salvage Committee, 376 00:23:36,400 --> 00:23:40,920 Speaker 1: What a name. Disney even got involved, creating a cartoon 377 00:23:41,240 --> 00:23:44,159 Speaker 1: with this line, A skilled of bacon grease is a 378 00:23:44,160 --> 00:23:47,600 Speaker 1: little munitions factory. Every year, two billion pounds of waist 379 00:23:47,680 --> 00:23:50,480 Speaker 1: kitchen fats are thrown away enough glyszer and for ten 380 00:23:50,520 --> 00:23:57,359 Speaker 1: billion rapid fire cannon shells. Thanks goofy Oh did I 381 00:23:57,440 --> 00:24:01,000 Speaker 1: not mention they wanted the fat for bombs? Yeah, okay, 382 00:24:01,840 --> 00:24:04,880 Speaker 1: one pound of fat could make a pound of explosives 383 00:24:04,920 --> 00:24:07,960 Speaker 1: and would also earn you four since if you want 384 00:24:08,000 --> 00:24:11,080 Speaker 1: more explanation, many mouths and Pluto, they've got it all 385 00:24:11,119 --> 00:24:13,639 Speaker 1: for you, and they stay in the cartoon. Fats make 386 00:24:13,680 --> 00:24:17,240 Speaker 1: glyster and glyster and blows stuff up, um looking at you, 387 00:24:17,320 --> 00:24:20,359 Speaker 1: fight club. Only about half of American housewives did this, 388 00:24:20,400 --> 00:24:24,160 Speaker 1: and America wasn't super hurting for it. From what I read, 389 00:24:24,200 --> 00:24:29,040 Speaker 1: it was more about keeping the women busy. Oh yeah, okay, yeah, 390 00:24:29,480 --> 00:24:33,720 Speaker 1: technology and various health trends would make bacon cheaper, more plentiful, 391 00:24:33,840 --> 00:24:37,840 Speaker 1: and weirder over the next few decades. In the nineteen sixties, 392 00:24:37,880 --> 00:24:41,399 Speaker 1: we got that shelf stable quick cooking bacon cooks in 393 00:24:41,480 --> 00:24:44,439 Speaker 1: about two or three minutes, rather than however long it 394 00:24:44,440 --> 00:24:45,880 Speaker 1: takes you to cook a piece of bake. And other 395 00:24:45,920 --> 00:24:49,040 Speaker 1: than that, um, the first brand may have been Brown 396 00:24:49,080 --> 00:24:51,920 Speaker 1: and Serve Brown and so says it right there on 397 00:24:51,960 --> 00:24:56,120 Speaker 1: the package. Um. These were developed both for convenience and 398 00:24:56,600 --> 00:25:01,119 Speaker 1: due to growing research and concern about inhale the compounds 399 00:25:01,119 --> 00:25:04,840 Speaker 1: and bacon while they cook. In the nineteen seventies, concerns 400 00:25:04,840 --> 00:25:08,480 Speaker 1: about animal rights and or eating too much meat lead 401 00:25:08,480 --> 00:25:12,600 Speaker 1: food companies to start producing vegetarian bacon from soy products, 402 00:25:13,280 --> 00:25:18,200 Speaker 1: and in the nineteen nineties America went hog wild. Yeah 403 00:25:18,280 --> 00:25:22,320 Speaker 1: forgive me for turkey bacon, a processed product made a 404 00:25:22,440 --> 00:25:25,919 Speaker 1: varying blends of turkeys, white meat, dark meat, and fat. 405 00:25:26,440 --> 00:25:29,439 Speaker 1: It was sold as a healthier substitute for bacon, but 406 00:25:29,960 --> 00:25:32,879 Speaker 1: as always, read your food labels, y'all. Some some brands 407 00:25:32,880 --> 00:25:35,560 Speaker 1: have less fat and fewer calories than Park bacon, but 408 00:25:35,560 --> 00:25:38,919 Speaker 1: others are about comparable, and there's still the salt and 409 00:25:38,960 --> 00:25:43,680 Speaker 1: sugar and nitrates and other preservatives to to be thinking about. Yeah, 410 00:25:43,800 --> 00:25:46,800 Speaker 1: and I think we've mentioned this in our Turkey episode. 411 00:25:47,560 --> 00:25:50,480 Speaker 1: But if you are looking for some hilarious ad copy, 412 00:25:50,600 --> 00:25:54,960 Speaker 1: oh turkey bacon, it's beautiful, pushing so hard like it's 413 00:25:55,000 --> 00:25:59,440 Speaker 1: going to save your life. Beat this turkey bacon. So 414 00:26:00,000 --> 00:26:01,719 Speaker 1: if you're interested, I would look it up. I got 415 00:26:01,840 --> 00:26:05,919 Speaker 1: quite the kick out of it. Uh. And then um, 416 00:26:05,960 --> 00:26:09,399 Speaker 1: recently in the in the twenty teens, during during the 417 00:26:09,400 --> 00:26:13,119 Speaker 1: height of bacon mania, um, the number of kosher bacon 418 00:26:13,240 --> 00:26:18,399 Speaker 1: substitutes increased really dramatically um, usually labeled fake or imitation 419 00:26:18,520 --> 00:26:23,000 Speaker 1: to avoid possible customer confusion, and made with just anything 420 00:26:23,000 --> 00:26:25,840 Speaker 1: and everything like like lamb to duck to soy to 421 00:26:26,000 --> 00:26:32,240 Speaker 1: algae algae. Yeah yeah, um. And we have got some 422 00:26:32,480 --> 00:26:36,399 Speaker 1: science behind bacon mania, bacon science, yep, we do. But 423 00:26:36,480 --> 00:26:38,680 Speaker 1: first we have one more quick break for a word 424 00:26:38,680 --> 00:26:53,919 Speaker 1: from our sponsor, and we're back, Thank you sponsor. All right, 425 00:26:54,200 --> 00:26:58,760 Speaker 1: Because of bacon's popularity, there there are a lot, just 426 00:26:59,520 --> 00:27:04,760 Speaker 1: so many weird bacon products, a whole bunch yeah, um, 427 00:27:04,840 --> 00:27:07,159 Speaker 1: some edible, others not. This reminds me of kale in 428 00:27:07,200 --> 00:27:10,399 Speaker 1: a lot of ways, right, Yeah, all right, here we go. 429 00:27:10,480 --> 00:27:13,400 Speaker 1: There are bacon saracha lollipop, Oh with the sarachi in there, 430 00:27:13,480 --> 00:27:18,480 Speaker 1: yea bacon chapstick, bacon cupcakes, bacon donuts, bacon pillows, bacon milkshakes, 431 00:27:18,520 --> 00:27:22,600 Speaker 1: the Burger King, Bacon Sunday Rest in Peace, bacon as, 432 00:27:22,600 --> 00:27:26,960 Speaker 1: bacon cocktails, bacon wrapped pretty much anything, bacon deodorant, bacon 433 00:27:27,000 --> 00:27:31,320 Speaker 1: shaving cream, bacon condoms, the five thousand calorie bacon explosion. 434 00:27:31,840 --> 00:27:34,320 Speaker 1: And on top of that, there are bacon festivals, bacon 435 00:27:34,400 --> 00:27:38,040 Speaker 1: film festivals, baking summer camps, bacon bars, bacon condoms again, 436 00:27:38,359 --> 00:27:41,800 Speaker 1: bacon madness. Um. Last year, I went to bacon Fest 437 00:27:41,840 --> 00:27:45,159 Speaker 1: in Atlanta, and I ate so much bacon. You just 438 00:27:45,240 --> 00:27:46,560 Speaker 1: you come in and they just hand you cuffs of 439 00:27:46,560 --> 00:27:49,920 Speaker 1: bacups of bacon everywhere. Yeah. I think, as this episode 440 00:27:49,960 --> 00:27:52,600 Speaker 1: is coming out, you have just missed this year's bacon fest, 441 00:27:52,840 --> 00:27:55,520 Speaker 1: put on by Dad's garage full of lovely people. But yeah, 442 00:27:55,640 --> 00:27:58,200 Speaker 1: but there's there's always something to look forward to next year. 443 00:27:58,359 --> 00:28:01,600 Speaker 1: It is true. It's true. If you're wondering why bacon 444 00:28:01,680 --> 00:28:04,880 Speaker 1: is so gosh durn popular, the answer, aside from taste 445 00:28:05,440 --> 00:28:10,080 Speaker 1: and price points, seems to be internet culture me mobility 446 00:28:10,200 --> 00:28:13,000 Speaker 1: if you will. Yeah, it's kind of a symbol of 447 00:28:13,000 --> 00:28:17,399 Speaker 1: of everything that humans both are and failette. I think 448 00:28:18,119 --> 00:28:21,399 Speaker 1: it's what makes us terrific. And also, oh, it's like 449 00:28:21,440 --> 00:28:25,640 Speaker 1: the sport. Yeah, yeah, like you know that. It's it's 450 00:28:25,640 --> 00:28:29,280 Speaker 1: we're we're flawed people. We love doing this thing and 451 00:28:29,320 --> 00:28:31,359 Speaker 1: we know it's terrible for us, but man, do we 452 00:28:31,440 --> 00:28:36,280 Speaker 1: love it. It's the cycle of bacon. It is a 453 00:28:36,400 --> 00:28:40,239 Speaker 1: circle of circle of bacon. Oh, it does move us 454 00:28:40,240 --> 00:28:46,080 Speaker 1: all it does, blanking it does. Okay. There is also 455 00:28:46,240 --> 00:28:49,960 Speaker 1: some science though, to why we love bacon. There are 456 00:28:50,000 --> 00:28:52,560 Speaker 1: about a hundred and fifty different compounds that make up 457 00:28:52,600 --> 00:28:55,720 Speaker 1: the flavor of pan fried bacon, many of which are 458 00:28:55,840 --> 00:28:59,720 Speaker 1: created from the proteins fats, sugars, and even nitrites in 459 00:28:59,760 --> 00:29:03,360 Speaker 1: our acting with each other as the baking cooks. And yes, 460 00:29:03,720 --> 00:29:06,680 Speaker 1: those nitrites that we've talked about being kind of not 461 00:29:06,800 --> 00:29:09,480 Speaker 1: great for you help the flavor of bacon by by 462 00:29:09,480 --> 00:29:12,440 Speaker 1: reacting with other compounds in the meat and creating these 463 00:29:12,520 --> 00:29:16,680 Speaker 1: extra meaty, savory flavor compounds that are not present or 464 00:29:16,680 --> 00:29:20,680 Speaker 1: are not as highly present in meat products made without nitrites. 465 00:29:21,280 --> 00:29:25,240 Speaker 1: They taste tasty. There is also the mouth feel of 466 00:29:25,280 --> 00:29:30,240 Speaker 1: bacon that that crunchy yet melt in your mouth. Combo. This, 467 00:29:30,240 --> 00:29:35,280 Speaker 1: this combination of sensations provides what's called dynamic contrast. This 468 00:29:35,400 --> 00:29:40,520 Speaker 1: is a phenomenon where when we experience differing or opposite 469 00:29:40,560 --> 00:29:43,440 Speaker 1: sensations at the same time, our brains go oh oh 470 00:29:43,480 --> 00:29:47,280 Speaker 1: that was strange but exciting. Do that again. They release 471 00:29:47,400 --> 00:29:53,360 Speaker 1: extra pleasure chemicals. Oh um, so it feels good. Yeah, um, 472 00:29:53,400 --> 00:29:57,440 Speaker 1: so you know that's good. That's cool. Yeah, but now 473 00:29:57,480 --> 00:30:02,680 Speaker 1: the sprinkles are also cursed. Um. Some of the very 474 00:30:02,720 --> 00:30:06,080 Speaker 1: compounds that preserve bacon and make it tasty are also 475 00:30:06,120 --> 00:30:10,800 Speaker 1: hazardous to our health. Um. Specifically, they are carcinogenic. Oh yeah. 476 00:30:12,080 --> 00:30:17,120 Speaker 1: The nitrites that are used can become n nitroso compounds 477 00:30:17,160 --> 00:30:21,160 Speaker 1: when they encounter the high temperatures involved in frying or grilling, 478 00:30:21,840 --> 00:30:25,840 Speaker 1: or when they encounter the acids in your stomach. M uh. 479 00:30:25,960 --> 00:30:31,479 Speaker 1: And nitroso compounds are known carcinogens, and smoke particles also 480 00:30:31,840 --> 00:30:36,840 Speaker 1: are not good for us. They contain polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, 481 00:30:37,200 --> 00:30:40,320 Speaker 1: which is a fancy way of saying something that you 482 00:30:40,360 --> 00:30:42,640 Speaker 1: do not want to breathe in or ingest because they 483 00:30:42,640 --> 00:30:44,880 Speaker 1: will poke your cells. And your cells will not like it. 484 00:30:45,680 --> 00:30:50,280 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, Um. P h s are also carcinogenic. They 485 00:30:50,320 --> 00:30:53,000 Speaker 1: are the same reason why car exhaust fumes are bad 486 00:30:53,040 --> 00:30:56,720 Speaker 1: for us. And when we cook and eat bacon that 487 00:30:56,800 --> 00:31:01,560 Speaker 1: has been smoked, uh, we're breathing and in jesting those particles. 488 00:31:02,640 --> 00:31:09,400 Speaker 1: Oh no, yeah, so you know ventilate, yes, yes, uh. 489 00:31:09,600 --> 00:31:12,200 Speaker 1: And there there is some hope actually on the pH front. 490 00:31:12,560 --> 00:31:15,840 Speaker 1: The automotive industry has been working on filters that remove 491 00:31:16,080 --> 00:31:19,200 Speaker 1: p a h s front exhaust, and the food industry 492 00:31:19,200 --> 00:31:22,320 Speaker 1: may be able to adapt them to to food smokers 493 00:31:22,400 --> 00:31:25,360 Speaker 1: so that less those harmful particles get in your bacon. Wow, 494 00:31:25,680 --> 00:31:30,760 Speaker 1: talking about cars in the bacon episode. Yeah, I think 495 00:31:30,800 --> 00:31:35,280 Speaker 1: you've got some fine words to live by here, Lauren. Yeah, 496 00:31:35,320 --> 00:31:38,040 Speaker 1: you know. But okay, So so despite that blimmer of hope, 497 00:31:38,080 --> 00:31:40,160 Speaker 1: you know, just just bake bacon is a treat, not 498 00:31:40,320 --> 00:31:47,280 Speaker 1: a lifestyle. Yeah, sorry, no, no, no, no, it's it's 499 00:31:47,880 --> 00:31:51,600 Speaker 1: it is delicious and it is My mouth is actually watering, 500 00:31:51,840 --> 00:31:54,600 Speaker 1: like just thinking about it. Yeah. I think I read 501 00:31:54,600 --> 00:32:00,520 Speaker 1: somewhere that, um, the sound of bacon sizzling, something about 502 00:32:00,520 --> 00:32:03,320 Speaker 1: the sound and the smell is a very like you're 503 00:32:03,320 --> 00:32:07,920 Speaker 1: already super prid like you are ready to enjoy the 504 00:32:07,960 --> 00:32:12,440 Speaker 1: heck out of some bacon. That's how I feel about it. Certainly, 505 00:32:12,520 --> 00:32:14,760 Speaker 1: Oh gosh, the smell, and then it stays for days 506 00:32:15,560 --> 00:32:19,920 Speaker 1: and you're like, I already ate that bacon, but now 507 00:32:19,960 --> 00:32:24,920 Speaker 1: I want more. These are the struggles. Bacon and coffee 508 00:32:24,920 --> 00:32:26,400 Speaker 1: are really the two smells that will get me out 509 00:32:26,400 --> 00:32:31,600 Speaker 1: of bed. Yeah. Isn't there an alarm clock that does that? Does? Yes? 510 00:32:33,800 --> 00:32:37,480 Speaker 1: So versatile vacon is it is? So? Yeah? That is 511 00:32:37,480 --> 00:32:40,280 Speaker 1: our bacon episode. It is, yeah, and it brings us 512 00:32:40,320 --> 00:32:52,120 Speaker 1: to listen. I was doing a very elaborate like finger 513 00:32:53,160 --> 00:32:55,200 Speaker 1: there's a whole thing going on. There's a little finger 514 00:32:55,240 --> 00:33:00,520 Speaker 1: person crawling up my art and then yeah, yeah, there's 515 00:33:00,560 --> 00:33:05,280 Speaker 1: a story there there is speaking of explosions, Kristen wrote, 516 00:33:05,480 --> 00:33:08,160 Speaker 1: I just got done listening to lights, camera food stuff, 517 00:33:08,200 --> 00:33:09,760 Speaker 1: and I was a little surprised that you didn't touch 518 00:33:09,800 --> 00:33:12,080 Speaker 1: on Willy Wonka and the chocolate factor. Me too, now 519 00:33:12,080 --> 00:33:13,960 Speaker 1: that you mentioned I know. When she wrote that, I 520 00:33:13,960 --> 00:33:16,120 Speaker 1: was like, how did we not come across any of that? 521 00:33:17,320 --> 00:33:20,000 Speaker 1: She continued, I tried to find hard evidence of this, 522 00:33:20,080 --> 00:33:22,200 Speaker 1: but if you google the making of Willy Wonka, you 523 00:33:22,240 --> 00:33:24,640 Speaker 1: find pretty much the same facts. Basically, the Chocolate River 524 00:33:24,960 --> 00:33:27,959 Speaker 1: was one dred and fifty thousand gallons of water, chocolate, powder, 525 00:33:28,000 --> 00:33:31,520 Speaker 1: and cream. Oh no, apparently it went bad rather quickly, 526 00:33:31,600 --> 00:33:34,440 Speaker 1: so the room smelled terrible as they were filming. No, 527 00:33:34,760 --> 00:33:38,600 Speaker 1: I can't even imagine. Oh yeah. Also, as a little kid, 528 00:33:38,640 --> 00:33:41,840 Speaker 1: I could actually imagine what the little buttercup, tea cup 529 00:33:41,960 --> 00:33:44,440 Speaker 1: and saucer tasted like. Except it was just wax, not 530 00:33:44,520 --> 00:33:48,120 Speaker 1: wax candy, destroys the illusion, but still pretty cool. I 531 00:33:48,120 --> 00:33:50,120 Speaker 1: think I always assumed it was made of like like 532 00:33:50,200 --> 00:33:56,440 Speaker 1: fortune cookie. Yeah, yeah, see that. That movie scared me 533 00:33:56,600 --> 00:34:00,120 Speaker 1: so bad. I haven't watched it since. I've always seen 534 00:34:00,160 --> 00:34:02,480 Speaker 1: it once. I adored it. I like ran it off 535 00:34:02,480 --> 00:34:05,440 Speaker 1: the video tape that I had, Like I blanked out 536 00:34:05,480 --> 00:34:08,440 Speaker 1: that tape by watching it so much. I still have 537 00:34:08,600 --> 00:34:12,440 Speaker 1: an enduring love of Gene Wilder based on that movie, 538 00:34:12,480 --> 00:34:14,960 Speaker 1: Like that like primed me for everything else that he 539 00:34:15,000 --> 00:34:17,480 Speaker 1: was in that I watched when I got older. I 540 00:34:17,600 --> 00:34:21,160 Speaker 1: definitely want to rewatch it. It's funny because people, when 541 00:34:21,200 --> 00:34:23,720 Speaker 1: I tell them it scared me, they always think, oh, 542 00:34:24,200 --> 00:34:27,000 Speaker 1: when she turns into the Blueberrier, the things happened to kids? 543 00:34:27,160 --> 00:34:29,759 Speaker 1: It was Willy Wonker scared me. He was terrifying. He 544 00:34:29,840 --> 00:34:32,520 Speaker 1: was meant to be well good because I, as a kid, 545 00:34:32,560 --> 00:34:35,719 Speaker 1: I was like this, this is a mad man, and 546 00:34:35,760 --> 00:34:38,560 Speaker 1: I thought he was like going to of like just 547 00:34:38,680 --> 00:34:43,480 Speaker 1: break at any minute, just snap. Yeah. But yes, I 548 00:34:43,480 --> 00:34:46,080 Speaker 1: would love to give it another another go. And we 549 00:34:46,160 --> 00:34:50,040 Speaker 1: are definitely going to do a fictional foods on Willy Wonka. 550 00:34:50,200 --> 00:34:53,280 Speaker 1: Oh we have to. We have to immediately. It's there's 551 00:34:53,280 --> 00:34:56,719 Speaker 1: no question, it's in the food stuff like mission, the 552 00:34:56,760 --> 00:35:00,680 Speaker 1: mission statement, you must do a fictional food yes on 553 00:35:00,760 --> 00:35:05,040 Speaker 1: really Wonka. Okay, Uh, Francis wrote, I just got done 554 00:35:05,040 --> 00:35:07,600 Speaker 1: listening to your podcast on corned beef, and I knew 555 00:35:07,640 --> 00:35:09,880 Speaker 1: I had to write in. You mentioned that it is 556 00:35:09,920 --> 00:35:13,200 Speaker 1: popular in Puerto Rico, and it really is. Actually, all 557 00:35:13,200 --> 00:35:15,839 Speaker 1: those canned meat products are popular in Puerto Rico thanks 558 00:35:15,880 --> 00:35:19,399 Speaker 1: to the post War US government assistants. As a kid, 559 00:35:19,480 --> 00:35:21,399 Speaker 1: corned beef was one of my favorite things to eat. 560 00:35:21,760 --> 00:35:23,960 Speaker 1: My mom didn't use it as a failing for Alcapuria's 561 00:35:24,239 --> 00:35:26,560 Speaker 1: please eat these if you ever have a chance, but 562 00:35:26,760 --> 00:35:29,440 Speaker 1: instead should serve it over white rice with lightly cooked 563 00:35:29,480 --> 00:35:32,359 Speaker 1: onions on top. I was an incredibly picky eater as 564 00:35:32,360 --> 00:35:34,439 Speaker 1: a kid, and this was the only way I'd eat 565 00:35:34,520 --> 00:35:37,719 Speaker 1: rice without ketchup. Now, I don't like either canned meat 566 00:35:37,800 --> 00:35:40,520 Speaker 1: or ketchup, but the episode brought back good memories of 567 00:35:40,520 --> 00:35:42,640 Speaker 1: my mom's corned beef. We also ate a lot of 568 00:35:42,719 --> 00:35:45,160 Speaker 1: Vienna sausage in yellow rice, a rose con seal chica, 569 00:35:45,600 --> 00:35:49,000 Speaker 1: and eggs with spam. Basically, canned meat was a big 570 00:35:49,040 --> 00:35:52,800 Speaker 1: part of my childhood. Just after Hurricane Maria this past September, 571 00:35:53,040 --> 00:35:55,319 Speaker 1: I sent my grandmother and aunts plenty of cans of 572 00:35:55,320 --> 00:35:58,680 Speaker 1: corned beef, Vianna sausage, and spam which we call HAMMONDI 573 00:35:58,760 --> 00:36:02,359 Speaker 1: a little ham so cute because I knew they'd eat 574 00:36:02,400 --> 00:36:06,040 Speaker 1: it and love it while waiting for the power to return. Yeah, 575 00:36:06,080 --> 00:36:12,640 Speaker 1: thanks for confirming. Confirming that absolutely also hammonia is Yeah. 576 00:36:12,800 --> 00:36:16,319 Speaker 1: I adore that. It's beautiful and I definitely am going 577 00:36:16,360 --> 00:36:20,439 Speaker 1: to try to find some of these foods anytime someone 578 00:36:20,520 --> 00:36:23,280 Speaker 1: is like, go try this thing, Like, yes, yes, okay, 579 00:36:23,560 --> 00:36:25,680 Speaker 1: we just gotta find it. Done. I found a place 580 00:36:25,719 --> 00:36:28,719 Speaker 1: for Hawaiian food, but I will have to drive there. 581 00:36:29,560 --> 00:36:32,719 Speaker 1: I've got you. I can't walk a place, and I'm 582 00:36:32,760 --> 00:36:39,439 Speaker 1: a very like Iffy, I'm totally got you, okay, perfect um, Yes, 583 00:36:39,520 --> 00:36:41,960 Speaker 1: thanks to both of them for writing in. You can 584 00:36:42,040 --> 00:36:44,000 Speaker 1: write to us. Our email is a food Stuff at 585 00:36:44,000 --> 00:36:46,520 Speaker 1: Aska works at dot com. We're also on social media. 586 00:36:46,600 --> 00:36:49,240 Speaker 1: You can find us on Facebook and Twitter at food 587 00:36:49,239 --> 00:36:53,120 Speaker 1: stuff hs W. Also on Instagram at food stuff. We 588 00:36:53,160 --> 00:36:55,319 Speaker 1: hope to hear from you. Thank you so much to 589 00:36:55,360 --> 00:37:00,680 Speaker 1: our producer Dylan Fagan, who always does great faces when 590 00:37:00,680 --> 00:37:02,400 Speaker 1: I say his name. Yeah, I wish you were here 591 00:37:02,440 --> 00:37:05,040 Speaker 1: and could see it. Um. Thanks to you for listening, 592 00:37:05,080 --> 00:37:07,120 Speaker 1: and we hope that lots more good things are coming 593 00:37:07,160 --> 00:37:10,160 Speaker 1: your way