Americans love Canadian bacon. But if you were to go to Canada and order Canadian bacon, you may get a few funny looks. It turns out, our northern neighbors have another name for the delicious, savory treat.
So, what do Canadians call it?
There are a few names for Canadian Bacon north of the border. Some of the most common ones include back bacon and peameal bacon. Why peameal bacon, you ask? Well, according to Kitchen Project, the name came to be because "manufacturers would dry and grind yellow peas into a meal and pack it around the meat to help preserve it." However, after World War I, when cornmeal became more readily available, it replaced the dried peas, but the name stuck.
How is it different than American bacon?
First of all, American bacon is smoked, which gives it its distinctive flavor -- Canadian bacon is simply cured, and not smoked. Canadian bacon is more like ham and comes from a different part of the pig. As stated on The Kitchn, "American bacon comes from the fatty belly of the pig while Canadian bacon is typically cut from the loin." Another difference? Livestrong.com points out that "Canadian bacon is usually sold fully cooked and has less fat and fewer calories than regular bacon."
