A bacon sandwich (also known in parts of the United Kingdom and New Zealand as a bacon butty, bacon bap or bacon sarnie, in Ireland as a rasher sandwich
and as a bacon sanger in Australia) is a
sandwich of cooked
bacon between bread that is optionally spread with
butter, and may be seasoned with
ketchup or
brown sauce. It is generally served hot. In some establishments the sandwich will be made from bread toasted on only one side, while other establishments serve it on the same roll as is used for hamburgers.
Bacon sandwiches are an all-day favourite throughout the United Kingdom.
They are often served in
British cafes, and are anecdotally recommended as a
hangover cure.
Variants
The ''
New York Times-London Journal'' reported on a study conducted at
Leeds University which consisted of testing 700 variants of the sandwich. They experimented with different cooking styles, types of bacon, breads, oils, and special additions. Each variant was then ranked by 50 tasters. In conclusion, the best bacon sandwiches are made with "crispy, fried, and not-too-fat bacon between thick slices of white bread."
Another study by the
Direct Line for Business listed the top additions to the traditional bacon butty in
England. Although the original was still the preferred sandwich, the next top contender was the "breggy" which adds an egg. The next popular accessory was mushrooms, followed by cheese. For sauces, brown sauce was slightly favoured over ketchup.
The
BLT is a popular variant of the bacon sandwich with the additional ingredients of
lettuce and
tomato, but served cold.
In Canada, are a common variation, and are even considered the unofficial dish of
Toronto.
Health concerns
Numerous studies have showed a connection between processed meats and an increased risk of serious health conditions such as
type 2 diabetes,
various cancers, and
cardiovascular disease.
A study in 2007 conducted by the
World Cancer Research Fund found that there was "convincing evidence" of a link between processed meats and an increased chance of cancer. Although no numerical value was provided for the risk, they did state that "people should not eat more than 500g of red meat a week."
The
World Health Organization released a warning concerning the
sodium content in bacon. For 100g of bacon, there are approximately 1,500 mg of sodium. Currently, the
FDA reports that the average American adult should consume less than 2,300 mg per day. Too much sodium in the diet can lead to a higher probability of
high blood pressure, which is a major cause of
heart disease and
stroke.
See also
*
Bacon, egg and cheese sandwich
*
Club sandwich
*
Chip butty
*
Ed Miliband bacon sandwich photograph
*
List of sandwiches
*
References
External links
*
Category:British sandwiches
Category:Bacon sandwiches
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