Breakfast Staples

Whoever thought bringing home the bacon would be so traumatic? (literally. not figuratively.)

During our time here, we’ve found many things puzzling. Not the least of which is that bacon’s not really bacon (it’s more like thinnly-sliced smoked Virginia ham). But, of course, you’ve heard that story before.

But did you know that British eggs are brown on the outside and aren’t refrigerated? After years of conditioning to refrigerate eggs, I can’t help but question if keeping them in the pantry is safe. Can someone enlighten me? Is it natural to keep eggs in the cupboard? I’m still protesting by keeping them in the fridge, but, given the size of our fridge, could certainly use the real estate for other things.

An update. I spoke with a few English folks on the “bacon issue” and learned about “streaky bacon” which is intended to be close to the American-style. We tried it last week–it looked (see photo at right) and tasted similar to American bacon, but didn’t have crunch…too much meat, too little fat. It’s ironic, actually, since one of my tasks during grocery trips growing up was to rip open the (intended) back flap on the bacon packages to find the one with the least fat. Come to find out, it’s the fat that gives the bacon its essential crunch and taste.Hmmm….