what's with the bacon?

[mooserider]

I've been reading these posts for a while, and I just can't figure out what the crazed nearly-religious fervor about bacon is about. Yeah, it's tasty, but I can get by without it. So why is bacon so important to Burning Man?

Note that I have a brother-in-law who's a member of the Bacon of the Month Club, so I know a few bacon fanatics off-playa. But it seems that there is almost a cult of bacon on the playa. So could someone please explain this devotion to bacon to this not-yet-dusted burgin?

[ygmir]

it is my feeling this one is either crazy or stupid. At minimum a heretic.

[tamarakay]

What I had for supper last night:

Grill six scallions (only the white and light green parts), coat with oil, salt and pepper, grill till slightly charred.
Cut four peaches in half (freestone peaches are best). Cut up the scallions and place evenly in the peaches (where the pits were removed)
Wrap each peach half with two pieced of bacon, secure the bacon with toothpicks that have been soaked in water for about thirty minutes.
Grill the peaches cut side down for 2-3 minutes, then turn and grill another 2-3 minutes, then keep turning to avoid burnage but allow the bacon to cook all over.

I know that doesn't answer your question, but it sure is yummy lol

We precook bacon before we get to the playa and then just heat it up on the grill when we want to eat it. Two or three pieces usually fill me up since my appetite is so diminished out there. And it just tastes better on the playa than anywhere else in the world.

[GreyCoyote]

OP: Go to Burningman. Sweat your balls off. Invert your schedule. Party like a rock star. Eat nothing but camp food on-the-fly. Dehydrate.

Now, somewhere around Friday, film your reaction to bacon being offered. Then you'll get it.

[FIGJAM]

"I love the small of bacon in the morning!"

[Doctor VonBacon]

Bacon is simply the solid form of love, goodness, and all that is right in the universe.

[Captain Goddammit]

In 2013 the First Mate and I crashed out on our M/V on the inner playa near just off the Esplanade not far from Center Camp on Thursday night.
When we woke up Friday morning and started to go, we heard someone yelling "Bacon!! I'm serious, bacon going in the frying pan right now!!"
You KNOW I immediately swung around and headed over. Turns out his camp stove was broken; he was with the Hawaii core burn crew, and was frying bacon in the pan right on the still-smouldering ashes of his art burn the prior night.
I fired up my coffeemaker and brought him hot coffee with Bailey's (he hadn't had any coffee since he'd left home) and we hung out, talked about Hawaii and other awesome things, and had about the best morning on the playa ever.

All because of bacon.

[The Rod]

Note that I have a brother-in-law who's a member of the Bacon of the Month Club, so I know a few bacon fanatics off-playa. But it seems that there is almost a cult of bacon on the playa.

For the real bacon fanatics.

[Token]

[Eric]

I've been reading these posts for a while, and I just can't figure out what the crazed nearly-religious fervor about bacon is about. Yeah, it's tasty, but I can get by without it. So why is bacon so important to Burning Man?

Honest answer - it's an intense burst of salt & flavor when you're run down & tired. This said, I'm a vegetarian & don't touch the stuff (pickles are my go-to - real brined pickles, not nasty vinegar shit).

It's also become a Pavlovian meme at this point, where someone says "bacon" and everyone has to bark about it (just like the barking that follows the word "DJ").

[Doctor VonBacon]

where someone says "bacon" and everyone has to bark about it (just like the barking that follows the word "DJ").

If DJs gave out bacon, maybe we would be nicer to them.

[MyDearFriend]

where someone says "bacon" and everyone has to bark about it (just like the barking that follows the word "DJ").

If DJs gave out bacon, maybe we would be nicer to them.

No, we wouldn't.

[mgb327]

Whilst at BM, I have one piece of bacon each morning....with a side of 16 more pieces. I don't eat bacon off-playa often.

[Elliot]

In other words, apavlin, bacon is kind'a like PBR, a tradition and running joke. People will joke about the "major food groups of Burning Man" and the first two will be PBR and bacon. But yeah, bacon just happens to taste just right out there, and I cannot explain why -- but I think Eric nails it with "burst of salt and flavor". We tend to crave electrolytes out there (salt), and with much bland "survival food", flavor.

[Jovankat]

For the real bacon fanatics.

*Salivates* I'm tempted to give this a go but unbaconified pork belly is freaking awesome too. It doesn't seem to be as ubiquitous here in the US as back home. Damn now I want pork belly!

I'm a vegetarian & don't touch the stuff (pickles are my go-to - real brined pickles, not nasty vinegar shit).

Have you ever had grilled or fried halloumi? It's a very salty and entirely delicious cheese that is even better once cooked. I think of it as vegetarian bacon. It's another thing that doesn't seem as common here, but maybe I just haven't noticed it.

[maladroit]

Bacon is a cured meat, it keeps better in your cooler than plain raw meat. It's easy to cook on a camp stove or campfire with minimal cooking utensils. Once cooked, bacon is finger food...great for sharing. Bacon is a welcome addition to almost any other type of meal. Bacon is ready as soon as it's cooked, it doesn't need to be marinated, sauced, or seasoned in order to taste great. Frying bacon smells great and the smell carries pretty far, so it's easy to identify what someone is cooking. Bacon grease can be used for cooking other things. Bacon doesn't need to be peeled, sliced, trimmed, marinated, or tenderized before cooking, the only preparations are heating up the pan and opening the package. A strip of bacon is eaten completely, it doesn't leave a wrapper, core, seeds, skin, or bones behind to pose a garbage / moop problem.

The main reason you run into it all over the playa is because, for the above reasons, it's just a really practical food for a week of camping. Couple that with the fact that for many, it'll be the first "real" cooked food they eat after a couple days of Clif bars, and it was bound to obtain mythical status.

Here's a hint...hot dogs also taste really, really good out there, and many people bring them. Still, they're messier and more inconvenient than bacon.

[trilobyte]

There's an old adage about Burning Man that I think also applies here.

To those who've never been, no words can describe it.
To those who have, no words are necessary.

Some aspects of the event are difficult, if not impossible to really convey through the medium of text on the screen. You'll figure it out soon enough.

[Elliot]

What Trilo said.

By the way.... A few years ago at Burning man... I ate a product called Spam for the first time. And I liked it. Should I seek professional help?

[AntiM]

No, but you should seek a second opinion once you encounter Spam-flavored macadamia nuts.

[Captain Goddammit]

How could a discussion about yummy bacon have gotten down to Spam-flavored macadamia nuts ... ?

[The Rod]

[pink]

It is my opinion that the current defaultia cult of bacon arose from burners and is a cultural dissemination much like what The Hat is trying to do with all of his 'transformational' speeches/talks/nonprofit/etc.

You don't need a nonprofit, donations, etc. all you need is bacon!

[Captain Goddammit]

Moderators! Can we get a sticky?!
New playa rations list:
1. Bacon.
2. PBR
3. Shade, cooler, camp stove.

[The Rod]

playa rations list:
1. Bacon.
2. PBR
3. Shade, cooler, camp stove.

The real Burning Man Survival Guide.

[maladroit]

Add pickles and we're good. You can use the bacon to lure in someone carrying a bottle of Jameson, and then you have picklebacks.

[Captain Goddammit]

Oh shit you're right,

4. Picklebacks.

You've gotta try a pickleback with good tequila and sweet-pickle juice.

[GreyCoyote]

Oh shit you're right,

4. Picklebacks.

You've gotta try a pickleback with good tequila and sweet-pickle juice.

Whatever floats yer boat, Capt. Oh... wait...

[FaeTora]

I've been reading these posts for a while, and I just can't figure out what the crazed nearly-religious fervor about bacon is about. Yeah, it's tasty, but I can get by without it. So why is bacon so important to Burning Man?

Note that I have a brother-in-law who's a member of the Bacon of the Month Club, so I know a few bacon fanatics off-playa. But it seems that there is almost a cult of bacon on the playa. So could someone please explain this devotion to bacon to this not-yet-dusted burgin?

Honestly, for me, it came down to need. Fat for calories (as you burn a lot on the playa) and salt to help me retain water. I never thought it would taste so good until three days in the dust.

[tatonka]

just made some bacon jam , very good on toast in the morning

[Molotov]

For the vegetarian that craves junk food-- soy doggies!..... (These probably taste like deep fried ass)