Why UK Bacon Is Different Abroad
If you’ve ever ordered bacon on holiday and thought, “This isn’t like home,” you’re not imagining things. UK bacon really is different.
Back bacon vs streaky bacon
In the UK, bacon usually comes from the loin joint — a cut from the back of the pig. This is called back bacon, and it has a balance of lean meat with just enough fat for flavour.
In many other countries, especially the United States, bacon is made from the belly, resulting in streaky bacon. It has more fat, cooks up crispier, and has a very different texture.
Different curing traditions
UK bacon is traditionally dry cured with salt and sometimes sugar, rubbed directly onto the meat. This gives a firm texture and savoury depth. Abroad, bacon is often made using wet brining (soaking or injecting the meat in salty liquid), which produces a different flavour and mouthfeel.
Why this matters for holidaymakers
For UK travellers, the difference is most obvious at breakfast time. Abroad, you’ll often be served crisp streaky bacon rather than the familiar rasher of back bacon. It’s tasty, just not what most of us expect when we think of “bacon.”
Bringing the tradition home
If you love UK-style back bacon, the good news is you don’t need to rely on supermarkets. With just a pork loin, salt, sugar, and a digital scale, you can cure your own at home using safe, simple methods.
New Book: Homemade Back Bacon – The UK Dry-Cure Method
Step-by-step, weight-based recipes for authentic UK-style back bacon. Includes both nitrate-free and traditional Cure #1 methods, plus a 7-day curing diary and troubleshooting.