Who doesn’t love bacon? Your local pizzeria and sub shop, Alley Cat Pizza is here to celebrate Bacon Day on December 30th with the history behind one of America’s favorite pork products. 

Where Did Bacon Come From?

Bacon is one of the oldest kinds of meat on the market as it dates back to around 1500 B.C. The word comes from Germanic and French dialects, including bacun (Old French,) bacho (German,) and bache (Old Teutonic.) The Middle English term bacoun refers to all pork in general. However, now the cuts are generally made from the side or the belly of the hog. 

The Journey of Bacon

Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto was marked the “father of the American Pork Industry” when he brought 13 pigs to the New World in 1539. The number quickly grew to over 700 pigs. By 1653 free-roaming pigs took over Manhattan Island and halted the construction of a wall that was being made to stop British and Indigenous people from entering New Amsterdam. Later, the site became Wall Street. The swarm of pigs was there to stay long into the 19th century. 

The Birth of The B.L.T.

In 1762, the Fourth Earl of Sandwich John Montague invented the B.L.T. John was a gambling man, and he was known for never leaving the betting table for anything, not even to get a quick snack. Once, he decided to ask for meat and some pieces of bread, and he threw everything together so that he could throw dice with one hand and eat with the other, never having to worry about using a fork or a knife. The sandwiches moved around the world, with everyone sharing the idea. The B.L.T. eventually made it to the American and European cookbooks somewhere between the 19th and early 20th centuries. 

Mark Your Calendars

Bacon Day is on December 30th. Celebrate one of America’s favorite pork slices with a B.L.T. from Alley Cat Pizza. We were founded over 25 years ago with the philosophy that everyone is family to us. We were voted “Best of Pizza in Manchester for eighteen of those years,” and we are still running strong. Not only are we a pizzeria, but we are your local sub shop too! 

To place an order, call us at 603.669.4533