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The Science Of Bacon . . .

Posted by 2 Dollar Productions Monday, December 03, 2007

Like most people who possess taste buds, I have lived with a long, often torrid affair with bacon.


Bacon is delicious, dirty, decadent, and vaguely arousing if cooked properly. It is a wonderful breakfast meat, which also does double duty on sandwiches, burgers and can enhance the flavor of virtually any product on this Earth.



The only downside is the health implications because otherwise I might just wrap one hand (my non hand-shaking one) in bacon and simply gnaw at it all day long. Due to the saturated fat, however, I have largely switched over to turkey bacon these past few years, which is not really bacon - true mouthwatering bacon - in much the same way that O'Douls is not beer.

But now, science is stepping in to provide hope for bacon. Jing X. Kang, a scientist who also works as an associate professor at Harvard medical, has created pigs that produce omega-3 fatty acids - the Good kind of fat which is found in fish and has been shown to have numerous health benefits.

As reported in Esquire, Kang stole a gene from roundworms that naturally transforms omega-6 acids, which are associated with heart attacks, into omega-3 acids. He then worked with the gene so it would function inside a mammal, and finished by injecting it into a pig embryo.

Now that's true science at work.


There are still many hurdles to clear before this super-bacon comes to the market as the FDA is notoriously slow, and then again, there is the all-important taste factor. It's that last part that concerns me the most because if Kang nailed the crunchy nectar of healthy bacon then he should be up for a nobel prize.

Regardless, this is still the most exciting scientific news to come out since they decided that some drinking and dark chocolate were good for you. If this keeps up then my bacon-fist utopia might one day become a reality.

-BDS

19 comments

  1. Heff Says:
  2. God Bless Kang.

     
  3. Grace Says:
  4. That's amazing! I actually hated bacon when I was younger, but have learned to love it over the years.

    By the way, I haven't had any breakfast yet, and oh my God that sandwich looks good... excuse me as I wipe the drool off my keyboard.

     
  5. JLee Says:
  6. Awesome!
    Now I have to tell a bacon story. My friends went skiing last year and one of their friends cooked several pounds of bacon at breakfast. When they asked why he made so much, he said "well you know, to snack on later" It struck them so funny, they created a now defunct website titled "snackonbacon.com" with the guy's photo and a photoshopped piece of bacon sticking out of his mouth. haha

     
  7. Heff - Exactly. The man is a true genius.

    Grace - My thoughts too. It's also good to hear you overcame your debilitating (sp?) bacon hurdle early in life as it is one of the finest things around. And a bacon sandwich might be on my radar today as well.

    Jlee - That's pretty funny, but I can't blame that man - he's thinking ahead. I'm all about planning, and with bacon involved, there is never enough for me. Ha.

     
  8. Anonymous Says:
  9. Screw you! Now I have to go to Wendys and get a Baconator for lunch.

    ~wigsf

     
  10. BostonPobble Says:
  11. Damn...healthy bacon. Someone saint that man.

    The other morning, after Lithus had taken Timber to school, I woke up to the smell of coffee and bacon. Needless to say, I was thrilled. Only Lithus had turned the coffee pot off and hadn't made ANY bacon for me because I was still asleep. Need I say he now understands the error of his ways?

     
  12. Miss Ash Says:
  13. I must say back in the day when I ate meat I was a huge fan of crispy bacon. *drool* In Japan the man put bacon on my food when I had asked for no meat. I was recanting the story to a friend and he was like "but it's bacon" and I said "I don't eat meat" and he said "Ashley, but it's bacon" like I was crazy haha.

     
  14. Jenny Says:
  15. I must admit, that despite being a Vegetarian, the smell of bacon cooking can make me weak in the knees. There is something about that smell that gets into my DNA and reminds me why I have certain teeth in my head.

    BTW - I think this is one of your best "porn" posts. Hee.

     
  16. WhatIgot - You'll thank me later. There's no such thing as bad bacon.

    Bostonpobble - That is a burn as coffee and bacon are two of my favorite things in the world. I'm sure you had a stern lesson about the error of his ways. Ha. And sainthood is good w/ me.

    Miss Ash - I was wondering how you would come down on this one. ha. And I have to say that I'm glad you once tasted the divine aspect of crispy bacon (and I also agree w/ your friends argument). I just don't know how you tasted it, and then stopped.

     
  17. Anonymous Boxer - Missed you - barely - in Cyberspace. I do think you're right that there is some physiological (sp?) about bacon regardless of your eating preference. It's downright erotic, which plays into your porn point. Ha.

     
  18. nobich Says:
  19. Ok ok bacon hmmmm...
    Now bacon on pizza that's a real good one. hmmmm..yummy ( I am now doing the "bacon dance"

     
  20. Anonymous Says:
  21. Okay, I settled for a Homestyle Chicken Sandwich with bacon. But I'm sending you the bill.

    You can blog about food in the morning. It gives me too many ideas of how to be a cannibal (a pig who eats bacon).

     
  22. Nobich - I forgot pizza, but yes, you can slide it on there as well. And by bacon dance, I assume you mean where you lie on the ground and wiggle quickly in a 'frying' imitation. Let's hope, eh?

    WhatIgot - I thought the Baconator was only a limited time thing anyway. Maybe not. It's obviously been too long since I was at Wendy's and I have no excuse since there is one close to my loft. Liked the cannibal connection. Very wise parallel.

     
  23. vivavavoom Says:
  24. keep dreaming! I love my bacon but my guess is even with the omegas injected in it you will run risks...much like the eggs that they do the same thing too now...with extra DHA, etc.

    turkey bacon is so brand selective..some of it just tastes like rubber, I found one I like but forgot the brand name.

    I still say, treat yourself...and when you want to bath in it, watch Supersize Me a few times.

     
  25. Jenny Says:
  26. I would like to see "the bacon dance".

     
  27. Vivavavoom - Sure, just burst my bubble before it even begins. Ha. But yes, I have my doubts. As for turkey bacon, I tend to like Jenni-O fairly well, but at the end of the day, it's still turkey bacon.

    Anonymous Boxer - It's quite a sight, and usually involves someone standing above you and yelling "now fry like bacon you wretch."

     
  28. SymplyAmused Says:
  29. Heaven: Bacon and dark chocolate. Now I'm hungry too!! Shame on you !!!

     
  30. vivavavoom Says:
  31. that brings back memories of 'Dazed and Confused'. very stellar work by.....what was her name I just totally blanked...indie movie chick....horribly cast in the new Superman..(she should have been Lois Lane imho)

     
  32. Symplyamused - Ha. Maybe you should be thanking me. Go have some.

    Vivavavoom - Nice catch on that reference. And the name you want is . . . Parker Posey.

     

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