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—in the cut, the cure and how it cooks.

Back bacon vs streaky bacon

When people say “bacon” in the UK, they usually mean a rasher of back bacon:

• Back bacon (UK): cut from the loin joint, running along the back of the pig.
• It has a broad section of lean meat with a smaller strip of fat on the edge.
• It tends to eat meatier and less greasy, and can be cooked to soft or lightly crisped.

Order bacon in many other countries and you’ll more likely get streaky bacon:

• Streaky bacon (US and elsewhere): cut from the belly.
• It has distinct streaks of fat and lean running the length of the slice.
• It’s designed to cook crisp, with rendered fat and a more intense, salty bite.

Same animal, completely different eating experience.

Different curing traditions

The curing method also changes the flavour and texture of the final rasher.

Traditional UK approach:

• Often dry cured: a measured mix of salt (and sometimes sugar and cure) is rubbed onto the meat.
• The joint is kept under refrigeration for a set number of days while moisture is drawn out.
• Result: a firmer texture, concentrated pork flavour and less water in the pan.

Common overseas approach:

• Frequently wet cured in a brine, or the brine is injected into the meat.
• This can be faster and easier to run at large scale.
• Result: a slightly different texture and juiciness, and sometimes more liquid released as it cooks.

Why this matters on holiday

The difference hits home most clearly at breakfast:

• In the UK, a cooked breakfast usually features back bacon, sometimes with a bit of rind or fat still attached.
• In hotels abroad, especially in North America and many parts of Europe, you’re more likely to see streaky belly bacon—thin, crisp and often quite salty.

If you’re expecting a soft, meaty British rasher and you’re served crisp streaky strips, it’s going to feel “wrong”, even if the bacon is technically very good for its style.

Fat, flavour and how it cooks

The cut and cure change what happens in the pan:

• Back bacon: less fat to render, more lean meat. It can be cooked gently until just done, or taken a little further for light crisping without drying it out.
• Streaky bacon: more fat streaks that render out as it cooks. This gives lots of crisp edges, but much less soft meat in the middle.

That’s why a British-style bacon butty feels completely different to an American BLT, even though both rely on “bacon”.

Bringing UK-style bacon home

If you prefer UK back bacon, you don’t have to rely on whatever the supermarket happens to stock.

• You can start with a simple pork loin joint from a butcher or supermarket.
• Use a weight-based dry cure so you know exactly how much salt (and cure, if using) is going onto the meat.
• Give it a controlled number of days in the fridge, turning on schedule, then rinse, dry and rest before slicing.

The result is proper British-style back bacon that behaves in the pan and tastes like “home bacon”, not generic “bacon flavour”.

Summary

UK bacon feels different abroad because it is different: back bacon from the loin, often dry cured, versus streaky belly bacon that’s usually wet cured and cooked very crisp. Once you understand the cut and the cure, holiday breakfasts make a lot more sense—and you’re in a much better position to make your own proper British bacon at home.

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