Bacon and Eggs-asperation in the UK… The Science of Sizzle I spill a lot of ink in this column talking about frivolous science - things like researchers spending ungodly amounts of grant money to prove something everybody already knows, or worse yet, that nobody cares about. But in the UK at least, a group of scientists recently studied something VERY worthwhile… How to make the perfect piece of bacon. According to a recent article in The Sun UK, researchers from the Leeds University used a high-tech computer and over 50 volunteers in evaluating and testing over 700 variations of bacon for the table. These included different cuts of pork belly (thick-cut, smoked, un-smoked), types of frying oil (olive, vegetable, sunflower), and just about every variation in techniques of preparation (frying, cooking, microwaving) and cooking temperatures and durations… Here's the fruit of their labor: N = C + {fb(cm) . fb(tc)} + fb(Ts) + fc . ta What's this mean? Well, here are what these symbols represent in the "perfect bacon" equation: N = force in Newtons required to break the cooked bacon
fb = function of the bacon type
fc = function of the condiment/filling effect
Ts = serving temperature
tc = cooking time
ta = time or duration of application of condiment/filling
cm = cooking method
C = Newtons required to break uncooked bacon According to the research team leader, it's the texture and sound of the perfect slice when eaten that's as important to consumers - if not more so - than the heavenly smell and taste of the bacon. And he should know: Brits spend the equivalent of around $2 billion US every year on bacon. It's the most popular meat in the country. So, for those of you who've been waiting for the results, it turns out that the perfect bacon bite: * Should measure exactly .5 decibels in crunchiness, and…
* Should break crisply under .4 Newtons of chewing force See? Like I said, finally science has measured something worthwhile - how to make one of nature's healthiest and most perfect foods (pork) even more appealing to the palate. But alas, the UK isn't quite so kind to the MOST perfect food. A 1950s ad campaign that was hugely successful in promoting morning egg consumption in Britain featured the tagline "Go to work on an egg!" Many older Britons remember the slogan with fondness… And now, for the 50th anniversary of the ad, the British Egg Information Service (an egg-industry lobbying group, I'm sure) wants to revive the campaign by running a new ad with the original spokesman - a comedian named Tony Hancock. But according to a recent Reuters News article, an agency of Britain's "Big Brother" government objects to the plan. Apparently, officials feel that the slogan violates the Broadcasting Advertising Clearance Center's policy toward promoting a varied and healthy diet… Clearly, the Brit twits in charge of disseminating dietary advice know nothing about a healthy diet. As I've said and shown you for years, pure, unadulterated eggs in any form are about the very best thing you can eat for the health of your heart, brain, and tissues. Eat AT LEAST one every day, and you'll be far better off than your average pasty-faced vegetarian from across the pond… | 
