Bacon: A "gateway meat" for vegetarians?

[TheMightyFavog]

http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2011/01/28/133304206/why-bacon-is-a-gateway-to-meat-for-vegetarians?sc=fb&cc=fp

Recently, an old friend who's been a vegetarian for more than 15 years shocked us with a story: Last weekend, she ate bacon. Several strips. Straight out of the frying pan where her boyfriend was cooking it.

This wasn't the first time she'd encountered it sizzling there, in all its glistening glory. But for some reason, this time it overpowered her. She was guilty yet gleeful when she told us that she'd allowed bacon back into her life.

But she's not alone. We've heard this story before from many people. It seems that bacon has a way of awakening carnivorous desires within even some of the preachiest of vegetarians. And we set out to find out why.

[woo me with science]

1. This actually happened to my nephew.

You may be on to something.

[pa28]

2. Sure, talk to my sister.

She was a very serious vegan for a while and told me all about the evils of meat and milk with a kind of revivalist fervor. She always said bacon was the biggest temptation for her and eventually she fell off the wagon.

I really don't know what's so great about bacon, I've never been a huge fan, but apparently it's like crack for carnivores.

[melman]

3. Bacon is disgusting

haven't eaten it in over 26 years and I never will again.

[Mojambo]

4. God, I fucking love bacon. n/t

[6000eliot]

5. It would be the last meat I'd ever be tempted by.

I always thought it was gross.

[struggle4progress]

6. I loved it until I was in my mid twenties. Then I thought, "What's so great about greasy salt?"

That stuff just hasn't tasted like food to me for years and years

[tabbycat31]

7. I must be the only carnivore

Who does not like bacon. Never have and probably never will.

[Chan790]

8. Not for me.

Every time I've ever had even one doubt of my continued desire to be a veg, the very smell of bacon erased any doubt. The only thing it's a gateway to for me is queasiness.

No, the thing that tempts me is Carolina BBQ. There are a lot of vegetarian BBQ products on the market but they're all that godforsaken KC-style (nasty ketchup-based "tangy" sauces with liquid smoke). Give me mustard, sugar and cider vinegar. Real BBQ on faux-meat. If I wanted to eat ??? coated in nasty BBQ, I'd order a McRib.

[MicaelS]

9. Bacon Explosion

http://www.bbqaddicts.com/blog/recipes/bacon-explosion/

2 pounds thick cut bacon
2 pounds Italian sausage
1 jar of your favorite barbecue sauce
1 jar of your favorite barbecue rub

[distantearlywarning]

10. Strangely, I am a die-hard carnivore, and I don't really like bacon that much

I'll eat it once in a while, but I don't crave it, and sometimes the smell of it cooking makes me feel sick.

Actually, I've believed for a long time that the main food group that keeps me from vegetarianism is fish. I think I could learn to live without beef, chicken, and pork, but I start craving fish terribly after a week without it. I would dream and obsess about eel sushi and pan-sauteed trout and it would undermine my vegetarian ideals in pretty short order.

[DebJ]

11. 35 years ago, Bob's Big Boy had all you can eat breakfast

bar. My office used to go to it for an early 'lunch', and we called it the "All you can eat Bacon Bar". Wasn't a strip left in the place by the time we departed.