Friday's Unscientific Poll: Important Bacon Question

[nanila]

Poll #17390 Important bacon question

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 52

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I prefer

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thin-cut/streaky/American-style bacon
21 (41.2%)

thick-cut/back/British/Canadian-style bacon
21 (41.2%)

not to eat bacon
9 (17.6%)

If you eat bacon, do you prefer it

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crispy
26 (57.8%)

chewy
19 (42.2%)

If you eat bacon, do you prefer it

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smoked
29 (69.0%)

unsmoked
13 (31.0%)

For those who eat bacon: Here is a food that is *not* improved by the addition of bacon:

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Today's Unscientific Poll was prompted by the realisation that after all these years in Britain, I still (not-so-)secretly prefer thin, crispy, streaky bacon to the thick-cut back bacon that gets served with a full English.

Comments

[omnipotent]

I have to choose?! Why you do this to me? I like ALL bacon!!

[nanila]

Really this is an exercise in hair-splitting, because those of us who eat bacon know that when faced with bacon, we're going to eat it.

[niqaeli]

Ha! The funny thing is, I acquired my taste for thick-cut, chewy back bacon in England when I was 8 and lived there for six months, and have never stopped missing it.

I do like American thin-cut bacon okay, but I can't eat it if it's done up crispy. It's a whole texture issue, it makes me cringe.

[nanila]

Yes, I've noticed that texture seems to be more important to bacon-eaters with bacon preferences than other variations (e.g. flavour or cut). Some people can't get enough of crispy crunchy bacon and other people feel that that's overcooked. I'm in the crispy camp, so we would definitely have a harmonious shared-bacon-eating experience since we have orthogonal preferences. No arguing over who gets which pieces!

[nou]

I think of crisp, crunchy bacon as basically crisps rather than bacon.

[niqaeli]

We would! :D I cheerfully chomp down on all the chewy bits and cede the crispy ones to my companions.

I can deal with crispy bacon only if it is chopped into tiny bits and used as a condiment. But then it's not so much bacon as... slightly flavourful crunchy bits?

[doccy]

I basically treat the different bacons like different foods - they're (almost) all good, soooo gooood, but thin crispy bacon isn't thick middle bacon with the rind on..

...*spends a minute Homer-drooling*...

...in the same way that, say, delicious steak isn't the same as delicious bolognese and AAAAAAA I HAVE TO GO EAT NOW

[nanila]

Enjoy your eatings! :D

(I had two helpings of steak and three helpings of profiteroles last night. I'm going to remember that meal with joy for some time. Also, I'm still a bit full.)

[cxcvi]

Damn you, I want bacon now...

[nanila]

Sorry about that! Hope you've managed to have some in the interim.

[angrboda]

In Denmark we produce a LOT of bacon, and then ONLY bacon you can buy in shops is either diced or the thin-cut stuff, which is, let's be honest, about two thirds fat. Give me the British thick-cut bacon any day, because it's actually made of actual meat. And these days, when I eat meat so rarely I'm just not interested in basically just sliced fat.

Perhaps if you went to a butcher's you might be able to get some proper bacon. Not certain. Again, it'd just be me eating it and it seems a bit silly for just me, really.

Also, abstained on smoked/unsmoked because I honestly don't care.

[nanila]

This is strange to me because a lot of the thick cut bacon you can buy in British supermarkets is Danish.

I have a preference for unsmoked bacon but it's very marginal really. It's not like I won't eat the smoked stuff when presented with it.

[angrboda]

Yes, that's because apparently we export the good stuff and keep the rubbish. Hmpf.

[fred_mouse]

I'm not sure I comprehend the differences, but I'm guessing Australian Standard Bacon is more like the American? I don't have any reference for smoked v. unsmoked. But if I'm eating it, I'd almost rather just eat the rind, and let someone else have the rest.

[nanila]

We would get a lot going fabulously if we were to share bacon. I'd happily eat the rest when you were done with the rind!

[fred_mouse]

\o/

I must admit to the temptation, having now seen your comment, to send kids to the shop so that they can have eggs and bacon for dinner. But that might be a bit ridiculous.

[chickenfeet]

My bacon purveyor; a Mennonite family who produce their own products from their own pigs, offer three types of bacon, all smoked. They do back and side bacon which pretty much approximate to the British and American standards, though of a very high quality. They also do shoulder bacon which is like a mix of the two; a sort of marbled back bacon. It's my preference and, weirdly, it's the cheapest of the three. Note, my comment here refers specifically to bacon eaten as part of a fry up. For other culinary purposes I have different preferences. And let's not forget peameal bacon; Canada's distinctive contribution to the non-smakoed bacon genre.

[nanila]

Your comment has made me salivate. So many types of delicious bacon. *dribble*

[askygoneonfire]

Where is my 'quorn veggie bacon, fried and served with ketchup' option please?

[nanila]

Cor that sounds nice too. Share?!