Bacon and eggs for breakfast

 

Photos by Retiring Guy

Bacon and Eggs Before They Got Together 

According to food historians, humans have been eating eggs for about 6 million years, originally eating them raw from the nests of wild birds. Jungle birds were domesticated for egg production in India by 3200 BC, and it is thought that Ancient Egypt and Ancient China were the first societies to domesticate hens. 

Bacon can be dated back to 1500 BC, making it one of the oldest cuts of meat. The phrase 'bringing home the bacon' originated in 12th century England. If a married man could testify in front of God that he had not argued with his wife in a year he would be awarded a side of bacon. It was a great honour to 'bring home the bacon'. 

When Did Bacon and Eggs Become Breakfast? Funnily enough, bacon and eggs for breakfast can all be traced back to the founding father of psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud. He just really has a way of inserting himself in American culture. His nephew, Edward Bernays, inspired by his uncle's work was a founder of propaganda and public relations and is credited with the introduction of bacon and eggs into the American breakfast. 

In the 1920's Americans typically ate light breakfasts of coffee, orange juice, rolls. In order to increase bacon sales Bernays wrote to 5,000 physicians asking whether a heavy breakfast was better for health than a light breakfast. 4,500 physicians wrote back confirming that a heavy breakfast was better for health as the body is depleted of nutrients after a night of sleep. He had this 'study' published in newspapers across America, conveniently presenting bacon and eggs as the ideal choice.

Related reading:

Eater, 2/16/2018

And then there's steak and eggs!