Yes, There Is A Difference Between American And British Bacon

The Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw once said "England and America are two countries separated by the same language." That may be true, but they're also separated by food. From what Brits call "cheeky Chinese" to the salad cream versus mayonnaise debate, the differences between British and American food never cease to fascinate (and, at times, enrage) folks on both sides of the Atlantic. Even bacon, one of the most classic and important breakfast meats, isn't quite the same across the pond. Americans who order bacon in the U.K. may be surprised (and possibly disappointed) by what the Brits call bacon.

British bacon bears little resemblance to the crispy, wavy strips of fatty deliciousness that most Americans associate with bacon. Although both are cured pork products, British bacon is made from the pork loin, with a tiny bit of the fatty belly attached, while American bacon is cut entirely from the pork belly. Because the pork loin is a much leaner cut of meat, British bacon is thicker, meatier, and far less fatty than the American version. Appearance-wise, British bacon is rounder, pinker, and floppier, while American bacon is narrower, darker, and super crispy-crunchy. The third bacon option out there is Canadian bacon. Canadian bacon is sometimes confused with ham because, like British bacon, it is also made from pork loin, but is even leaner because it's cut entirely from the loin without any fat attached. As such, British bacon is kind of like a tasty middle ground between American and Canadian bacon.

British bacon is typically sliced thicker and has a bit more of a meaty chew to it than the shatteringly crispy and wonderfully greasy American version. Also, American bacon is almost always smoked while British bacon may be smoked or not (the unsmoked kind is sometimes called green bacon). In the U.K., bacon typically accompanies a classic full English breakfast or is served in a butty sandwich. In the United States, bacon is most often a breakfast side served with eggs, the B in a BLT sandwich, or a crumbled topping for any number of delicious dishes.

Which bacon is better is highly subjective, dependent on personal taste, and probably heavily tied to nationality. Unfortunately for those who favor British bacon, rashers can be rather hard to find in the United States. That's in part because the USDA only allows bacon cut from cured pork belly to be labeled as bacon, which means British bacon legally has to be labeled as pork loin bacon or back bacon. On the other hand, American-style bacon can be found in the U.K., but it's usually called streaky bacon due to the streaks of fat (and some say streaky bacon still isn't quite the same as perfectly crispy American bacon). Despite all the differences between British and American bacon, one thing remains the same: This cured pork product is a beloved breakfast staple on both sides of the Atlantic.