How Many Types Of Bacon Are There?

If you're the type of person who spells bacon "bae-con," then you'll be happy to know that there are quite a few different types of bacon out there.

Bacon, by its strictest definition, is cured pork. In the U.S., it's made from pork belly, which is cured, smoked, sliced, and fried. Elsewhere around the world, this type of bacon is called streaky, fatty, or American-style bacon. The second-most popular type of bacon is back bacon, which is most commonly eaten in the U.K. It's taken from the loin (usually with a small piece of belly attached), so it's much leaner. Some may think that back bacon is the same is Canadian bacon, and in some cases it is, but Canadian bacon is also occasionally round and much closer to ham.

Other types of bacon include cottage bacon (from the shoulder), jowl bacon (also known as guanciale), and peameal bacon, which is back bacon coated in cornmeal.

We're living in an equal opportunity society, don't forget, so bacon is no longer squarely the domain of pork. There's turkey bacon, of course, but also bacon from plenty of other animals, including lamb, venison, beef, and duck. And, of course, there are the things that contain no actual bacon, and really shouldn't taste anything like bacon, but do, because science.