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Lunatalia t1_je6568v wrote

Reply to comment by Vindaloo6363 in [homemade] French toast & smoked bacon. by MaxRamsey

Genuine question, if you happen to know. Why do Americans call pork loin "Canadian bacon"? Back bacon or peameal bacon are definitely different from what either Americans or Canadians know as bacon (cut from pork belly). It's always bothered me, since we both say "bacon" for the same thing.

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HasturDragon t1_je6e7bb wrote

Oh, I actually know this one!

So Canadian bacon isn’t an American term. It’s British originally. There was a shortage of pork in the UK in the 1800s and so it was imported from Canada to the UK. But, Canadians remove the fat from the loin so the cuts were leaner. To sell this to the British the term Canadian Bacon was used to express the fact that it would be lean.

The term eventually migrated to the US where it stuck.

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Vindaloo6363 t1_je6iaxn wrote

And I always blamed Canada for that. It only really shows up on eggs Benedict because it’s a convenient shape.

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HasturDragon t1_je6jzto wrote

I don’t mind Canadian bacon. It’s hard for me to not appreciate cured pork in most forms.

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Vindaloo6363 t1_je6klq3 wrote

I cure and smoke a couple loins per year and like it cut 1 cm thick and lightly fried. I’m liking the idea of some fat to fry it in.

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Lunatalia t1_je6kx6v wrote

This is amazing! Thank you so much for explaining. I never knew why it was always popping up because our bacon is the same as the US kind. This actually makes a lot more sense.

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