I could end this post right here, by expressing my own iron-clad, immutable opinion: “No more Bacon newstalgia!” But that would be cheating. And I have lots more to say about Bacon and it’s travels through our culture. My conclusion? Get back to Bacon basics…
There have always been culinary circumstances in which Bacon was traditional, authentic and ‘man-datory’. But since the COVID Crisis eased, folks have been pounding the living daylights out of it, adding it to everything from ice cream to tooth paste…
What happened?
Redditor samuelazers asked his followers, “What millennial trend are you glad is over?“
He got a full spectrum of replies… But in a twist no one saw coming, ‘Bacon on Everything’ pretty much hijacked the post!
What the masses said…
Fellow Redditor pajamakitten – first in a long stack of comments – laid the groundwork: “Bacon is fine, but it does not belong on everything, and it can overpower a dish if you start putting too much bacon on it. Bacon toothpaste was a massive step too far.”
Pandoras-Penguin minced no words: “Epic Meal Time on YouTube absolutely ate up the bacon trend and then […] puked it back up…”
EnlighteningTaleBro recalled; “My niece […] told me her dad had a maple bacon wedding cake with bacon flowers and it turned her off of bacon for a long time.”
Iamalwaysrelevant said ‘enough was enough’: “The millennial obsession with bacon made me hate the taste. Maybe it was just my own friend group but every meal had bacon in it in some form. My least favorite was the bacon crumble they would put in salads and on dessert. Makes me kinda sick just thinking about it.”
Morlanticator dug deep for: “I’ve always remembered around 20 years ago I worked in a liquor store. Someone that mat or may not have been 21 was in the store with their mom. They just kept going, ‘but Moooooom I wanted the bacon vodka’. I can’t explain why that became a lifelong memory.”
JDz84 makes a finer distinction: “I’ll order bacon and eggs at a diner or something from time to time… But I loathe that every sandwich has to have bacon on it. Especially since it’s never good bacon, or it feels super undercooked.”
Which brings us to the main focus of this piece…
strog91 nailed it: “I remember ordering a cocktail in 2017 and when it came out there was candied bacon in the glass. I thought, “this has to be peak bacon,” and sure enough that was about when the trend started reversing.”
lurkishdelight had the last word: “Most overrated food ever…”
My take
I must first register my overwhelming disagreement with lurkishdelight‘s assessment of Bacon. It’s a small-minded, blinders-on, dismissive view of one of Nature’s Most Nearly Perfect Foods! ‘Nuff said…
I have always loved Bacon. And I always will. But there’s a time and place for all things. Neither tooth-paste, ice cream, martinis nor wedding cakes should ever get anywhere near Bacon!
It’s simply unthinkable.
On the other hand, I have loads of respect for crea-tions like the Bacon Roses pictured at the top of the page. And I absolutely love Susie Bulloch’s Candied Smoked Bacon nibblers (pictured left)!
Likewise, I firmly believe there are some timeless, classic bacon-involved appetizers that still have a place at your next cocktail party or reception.
And there will always be a place for bacon crumbles atop hundreds of different casseroles and salads that have stood the test of time, and don’t look to be going anywhere soon.
Not to mention Salad Dressings. Creamy Bacon Ranch is right up there at the top of dressing menu these days! Kraft and Hidden Valley offer the top-selling commercial versions. But you can, of course, make your own if you want to…
~ Maggie J.