05/03/2002

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Chow Line for 5/19/02: Canadian bacon not 'just' ham

Writer:

Martha Filipic
filipic.3@osu.edu
(614)292-9833

Source:

Gary Dunlap

Isn't "Canadian bacon" really just ham?

It's close, but not quite.

Ham comes from the rear leg of the pork carcass, and Canadian bacon comes from the loin, an area that originates just behind the shoulder and travels along the backbone to the hip region. Regular bacon is from the belly -- which explains why it contains more fat. And "picnic ham" comes from the lower portion of the front leg. All of these cuts are cured -- a method of preserving meat that changes its flavor, color and texture. But only ham is "ham."

Ironically, "Canadian bacon" isn't called "Canadian bacon" in Canada. It's called back bacon. And to confuse things even more, a brand-name product called "Real Canadian Bacon" is now on the market. According to the product's website, http://www.realcanadianbacon.com, the product originates from lean boneless pork loins, like the Canadian bacon we're familiar with, and they're "sweet-pickle cured" and rolled in a cornmeal coating.

Canadian bacon is often touted as a lower-fat alternative to regular bacon. Indeed, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Nutrient Database, an ounce of cooked regular bacon -- about four slices -- has about 14 grams of fat, compared with about 2.5 grams of fat in an ounce (about one slice) of grilled Canadian bacon. Calorie savings are similar: An ounce of cooked bacon contains about 160 calories, compared with 50 calories in an ounce of cooked Canadian bacon. Regular ham is very similar in fat and calories to Canadian bacon, but extra-lean varieties of ham shave off about 10 calories and a gram of fat per ounce.

Both Canadian bacon and regular bacon are major sources of sodium, so watch it if you're trying to limit your salt intake. Both have about 450 milligrams of sodium per ounce.

Usually Canadian bacon is sold fully-cooked, but occasionally you can find it in a cook-before-eating form. Be sure to read the label.

And if you're ever in Great Britain and order bacon, you might find yourself with something they call "rasher" -- very large slices of meat from the loin and belly. The bacon we're familiar with is called "streaky bacon" over there.

Chow Line is a service of The Ohio State University. Send questions to Chow Line, c/o Martha Filipic, 2021 Coffey Road, Columbus, OH 43210-1044, or filipic.3@osu.edu.

Editor:

This column was reviewed by Gary Dunlap, meat lab manager in the Department of Animal Sciences at Ohio State University.