Those words scratch the inside ears of anyone who has considered themselves vegan for even a day. It's fast becoming the number one objection to including more plants in their diet, save from "where do you get your protein".
No doubt, the majority of people love their meat and more so their bacon. This crazy attachment to bacon (and now that I think about it, much like cheese), is so dominant in our food culture. And it's fascinating to me. I assume most of the bacon cult does not know (or care) how bacon is made or what it even is. In case you want to learn more click here. And while my Wikipedia link won't yield the most inclusive information, it will give you a rough outline of what you are actually consuming.
Now, there is the obvious question - is it healthy? Personally, I say no. For many, many reasons. However, I think I can safely assume that the main reason people consume it is for the taste.
I think we can all resonate with that! If something tastes good, we want to eat it! And bacon has a very unique and distinct flavor. So, if you're in that "bacon or die" cult, buckle up because I have something you must try.
Say hello to Thrilling Bakon.
Growing up my dad would get in the kitchen on the weekends and make such a damn mess my mom would nearly lose her mind, but he always had the best breakfast spread. Which of course included bacon. So, even though I haven't had a piece of pig in over ten years, my mind totally remembers.
In that ten year span I have tried everything. As you can probably tell, I am always interested to find the newest vegan items on the shelves. While all the alternatives have their place, they are also all over the place in terms of texture, mouthfeel, grease (this just comes with the territory y'all), nutrition, and flavor profile.
And none of them have come as close to those childhood Saturday mornings than Thrilling. The nostalgia and sensations are so good - from the aroma to the perfect sizzle and texture.
Of course my first round in the kitchen with Thrilling was breakfast for dinner! It was absolutely the perfect pair for my french toast and tofu scramble. My entire family was wowed and - hold your grease trap - it's gluten free.
My husband was finally able to try a vegan bacon! No wheat anywhere. And speaking of ingredients, Thrilling has a short and simple list. It's also non-gmo, kosher, and keto friendly.
- Non-GMO soy milk
- Non-hydrogenated RSPO palm oil shortening (No deforestation)
- Yeast extracts
- Sea salt
- Maple syrup
- Allulose, a natural sweetener
- Citric acid
- Natural food colors from radish and paprika
- Black pepper
Of course I quickly finished up our sampling (Thank you, Thrilling!) with BLTs and chopped bacon salad. I'm already dreaming up more ideas for football season!
I'd like to just sum this up nicely for you - bacon that does no harm to animals, has the least impact on the planet, simple (and let's face it - WAY healthier) ingredients, and has an phenomenal bacon taste and texture. How can you not want to try this?!
Bakon is available online as well as 175 locations nationwide (and the list grows daily). Spend some time browsing Thrilling's website too because it's beautiful and informative.
I love this video of David Jones, the creator of Bakon, giving a short tutorial on how to cook up this delicious bakon. And fun fact - he's originally from Texas!