Bacon has graced breakfast menus for decades. It’s added a new level of savory smokiness to sandwiches. It’s been crumbled into bits and sprinkled on salads. It’s even got its own religious following.
For what seems like forever, this cured pork product has been a part of American culture and food. But how did it become so beloved? What made it a must-have for breakfast? Why is it such a great snack? Why is it even the star of desserts? Read on to find out more.
Crispy savory bacon is enjoyed all around the world today. But where exactly did bacon originate? To find the earliest origins of bacon we have to look back thousands of years and across different regions of the world.
While the curing and smoking of pork belly into bacon has evolved over time, evidence shows this iconic meat has ancient roots across multiple cultures.
Early Origins in China
The first precursors to modern bacon appeared in China over 2000 years ago. The Chinese were pioneers in the preservation and curing of pork meat They had begun domesticating pigs and realizing their potential as a food source during the Neolithic period.
Salting and drying pork to preserve it was a technique that arose in China as early as 1500 BC. Pork belly was one of the preferred cuts used in these early curing methods, which formed a rudimentary type of bacon.
Jowl bacon also emerged as a specialty bacon product in China. It was made from cured and smoked pork cheek and jaw. This is still produced in China today using traditional techniques.
So the early origins of bacon can be traced back to ancient Chinese pork preservation and curing practices. They recognized the value of the pig early on and pork belly proved well-suited to salt curing.
Bacon Traditions Spread Through Europe
While China pioneered bacon’s early development, the techniques eventually made their way across the globe. Trade routes like the Silk Road facilitated the exchange of goods and ideas between China and Europe.
As curing and smoking of pork traveled westward, it was embraced most notably in Rome and Greece. The Romans improved upon Chinese salt-curing methods by experimenting with different spices and flavorings. They became renowned for their charcuterie, including Italian-style pancetta bacon.
In Ancient Rome, pork was considered a staple meat. Salted pork belly was included in rations for Roman soldiers as a portable and protein-rich foodstuff. The Romans attachment to cured pork led to the Latin word for bacon – petaso.
By the Middle Ages, bacon was commonplace in European peasant cooking. Germanic tribes in particular took to smoking and drying pork for preservation. The old German word bakko gave rise to the modern English word “bacon”.
Anglo-Saxons in medieval England also adopted bacon as a dietary staple. It was one of the most accessible and affordable meats for peasants at that time. Bacon fat was used for flavoring vegetables, bread, and other dishes.
So while China pioneered pork curing, Europeans helped bacon rise in popularity and become entrenched in Western food culture through the Middle Ages.
Bacon Arrives in America
When European colonists and settlers arrived in North America, they brought their bacon traditions along with them. Hogs were one of the first livestock animals introduced by early colonists.
As pig farming took hold in America, bacon became a popular colonial food. Elizabethan English recipes for salted pork belly were recreated on early American tables.
Thomas Jefferson and George Washington were both bacon aficionados who raised their own pigs. Washington is said to have enjoyed bacon and hoe cakes for breakfast every morning at his Mount Vernon estate.
Commercial bacon production began taking shape in America in the 1800s. Cincinnati was nicknamed “Porkopolis” due to its thriving pork packing industry, with pig processing plants producing bacon for nationwide distribution.
As bacon grew in popularity across America, unique regional styles emerged. Bacon-centric dishes reflected cultural influences, like German smoked bacon in Pennsylvania or corned bacon in New England.
So while the practice of curing pork belly into bacon began in Ancient China, America helped transform it into a quintessential part of its national cuisine. Bacon became woven into traditional American breakfast dishes and regional food identities.
Global Popularity Today
While America consumes the most bacon worldwide today, it remains an important staple meat globally. From traditional English bacon to Italian pancetta, every culture that incorporated pork into its cuisine developed its own bacon traditions.
From its inception in China thousands of years ago to today, bacon has proven itself one of the most universally loved pork products. Its popularity across continents and generations speaks to the irresistible flavor and versatility of cured and smoked pork belly.
So next time you enjoy a crispy strip of bacon, appreciate how this iconic food has evolved across centuries and cultures. It’s a culinary tradition with ancient roots that still brings joy to breakfast tables worldwide today.
Going Way Back: Bacon Origins (1500 BCE)
Humankind’s love affair with bacon can be traced back to 1500 BCE, if not before. This is when the Chinese began to salt and cure pork belly. Like nearly all trends in the world, this salting and curing process traveled. It eventually gained popularity in other parts of the world, evolving as it was incorporated into different cultures.
People in ancient Greece and Rome ate bacon. Later, people in England, France, Germany, and finally the United States enjoyed this delicious pork product.
Bacon was easy to transport and became a popular source of protein, in part because it didn’t need to be kept cold during the curing process.
What Exactly Is Bacon?
The official definition of “bacon” is “a side of a pig cured and smoked.” (According to Merriam-Webster)
The history of bacon can be better understood by exploring the history of the word itself. “Bacon” comes from the same proto-Germanic linguistic roots as the English word “back.”
The word “bacoun” started being used in the English language at some point during the twelfth century. At that time, “bacoun” meant all types of pork. Over the next hundred years or so, its meaning became more limited until it only included the salty cured meat strips we know today.
The History of Bacon
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