Difference between Pork and Bacon

Pork and bacon both are meat products obtained from the pig. Although they are obtained from the same animal they are different from each other in terms of taste and texture. Let us see how they differ from each other!

Pork:

Pork refers to the meat of pig in a raw state, i.e. it is the raw meat harvested from pork or the unsalted pig flesh that is consumed as food. The meat of the pig is widely consumed in the form of pork and is also one of the most consumed meats in the world.

Pork is known for its fat content and texture and it smells and tastes sweet. In some religions, eating pig is prohibited or considered offensive or taboo, e.g. in Islam and Judaism prohibit pork consumption.

The pork is cured with salt water and smoking to produce different types of cured meats with different flavors and thus it is consumed in different forms such as salted, roasted, grilled, smoked or cooked. In some recipes, it is smoked as well as cooked.

Bacon:

Bacon is a cured pork meat. It is one of the most popular foods in the United States. In America, bacon refers to streaky bacon that is a cut of meat from belly or sides of a pig. It tastes delicious, easy to cook and can be paired with soup, burger, sandwich etc., and can be consumed any time of the day.

In the curing process of bacon, the meat is soaked in a salt bath and then dried in order to prepare it for boiling and smoking. It is mostly sold as long thin strips and can be grilled, baked or fried to make it crispier before eating. It is rich in sodium and nitrate that come from the preservatives.

Furthermore, due to the prohibition in some religions and certain rules in diet, people are switching to non-pork varieties of bacon such as beef bacon, turkey bacon, chicken bacon, and lamb bacon etc.

Based on the above information some of the key differences between Pork and bacon are as follows: