Advertisement

Love bacon? Blame it on chemistry ...

Share

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

Or the Maillard reaction, to be exact.

The Daily Telegraph explains the science — yes, science — behind bacon’s undeniable appeal. Apparently, it’s the Maillard reaction at work, ‘a chemical reaction between an amino acid and a reducing sugar which often requires heat. The acid and sugar react to release a huge amount of smells and flavours,’ writes Alastair Jamieson in today’s article.

Translation? When you cook bacon, the reaction between the fat and amino acids in the meat release smells and flavors that are almost impossible to resist.

Advertisement

Well, at least I now have some science to back me up next time I go on a shameless bacon binge.

That brings me to No. 29 on my list of 1,001 things to do with bacon: Blame it on science.

— Noelle Carter

Click below for the rest of the list.

No. 28: Have fun with the Health section

No. 27: Use Padma to sell bacon burgers ... and convert bacon’s unbelievers

No. 26: Make a bacon pillow

No. 25: Bacon explosion

Advertisement

Nos. 20-24: Make dessert

No. 19: Make a bacon-doughnut-cheeseburger

No. 18: Bacon bath salts

No. 17: Chicken-fried bacon, a.k.a. ‘bacon porn’

No. 16: Use bacon grease on your popcorn

No. 15: Get a bacon tattoo

Advertisement

No. 14: Make chocolate cupcakes with bacon cream cheese frosting

No. 13: Cover it in chocolate

No. 12: Make a bacon piñata

No. 11: Write letters about it

No. 10: Use it as currency

No. 9: Bacon chips

Advertisement

No. 8: Rumaki

No. 7: Lentils and bacon

No. 6: Gift it

No. 5: Maple-bacon biscuits

No. 4: Roasted potato salad

No. 3: Apple bacon coffeecake

Advertisement

No. 2: Panzanella

No. 1: Candied Bacon Martini

Bacon recipes galore!

Even more bacon recipes

The post that started it all....
Photo credit: Annie Wells / Los Angeles Times

Advertisement