British expat shares DISCOVERY of delicious traditional British bacon at Coles and Woolworths
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Whether you love it or hate it (just for the record, we love it, possibly a little too much), Australian bacon is definitely different to what you’ll find in other parts of the world.
And although some might say it’s better, non Aussies might do a double take if they order bacon & eggs at a cafe when they see what turns up.
A British expat claimed that while Australia has a lot of offerings that could blow the UK out of the water — such as sunsets, beaches, fresh produce, and Aussie's love for anything local — Aussie bacon is just not her cup of tea.
News.com.au correspondent Rebekah Scanlan said that in her opinion, bacon is just "better back home".
"It’s more flavoursome and crisps up better. You simply can’t beat it," she quipped.
So, what is it that makes Australian bacon so different?
Well, for starters, it’s usually sold pre-cooked and is an opaque shade of pink. This is in stark contrast to bacon in the UK, which is raw and translucent.
An expat claimed that The British Sausage Ham & Bacon brand tastes similar to traditional British bacon. Credit: news.com.au.
Mick Nunn, a staff member from Salt Kitchen Charcuterie, an Australian company producing cured meats, explained that the curing process for British bacon is very different to the Australian way of curing meat.
He said: “The main difference is that traditional British bacon is cold smoked, essentially pickled or brined, not cooked.”
“The majority of Australian bacon is hot smoked, ready to eat out of the pack which central-European migrants have influenced to Australia over many years (such as German, Italian populations).”
Rebekah said that every time she goes home to the UK, a bacon sarnie is always at the top of her "must eat" list.
So, when she discovered that she can get her hands on some “traditional English bacon” in Coles and Woolworths recently — which she noted was rare as most items sold in Aussie supermarkets are local products — she checked it out.
"At first inspection I was initially unconvinced. The British Sausage Ham & Bacon brand uses Australian pork – could it really taste like the rashers I buy back home?" she questioned.
However, the brand's website claimed that while it uses Aussie meat to make the bacon, the product is created using the recipe of “a third generation UK butcher who immigrated to Australia”.
"So I decided to give it a go and purchased the smoked version – and to my surprise, I was not disappointed," she shared.
And her verdict? The bacon tasted just like it does in the UK.
The product can be found in the shelves of Woolworths and Coles. Credit: news.com.au.
She also noted that the bacon crisped out without the need for any additional oil, similar to the traditional British meat.
She quipped: "My only criticism would be that a 200g pack, which I’ve found usually gets me seven rashers, is $7. In comparison, a 200g pack of supermarket own-brand shortcut bacon costs $3.80."
Rebekah also shared that since she discovered the item, she told her expat friends to try it as well, with many saying that they are delighted with the product.
The news correspondent reached out to Coles and Woolworths about the product, revealing that both the companies confirmed that the "popular" item is not new and has been available for purchase since 2019.
So, there you have it, folks! For those who have tasted British bacon before, do you agree with Rebekah? Does it taste better than Aussie bacon? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!