Vegetarian bacon, also referred to as veggie bacon, vegan bacon, vegan rashers, vacon, or facon, is a plant-based imitation of bacon.[1]

A breakfast of vegetarian bacon, bagel halves, cream cheese, and tomato

Nutrition

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It is high in protein and fiber, yet low in fat, and has no cholesterol. Many vegan bacon products are lower in salt than pork back bacon, and some have less than 10% of the fat.[2] Two slices of one particular brand average 310 kilojoules (75 kilocalories) of food energy.[3]

Range

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Brands include Morningstar Farms, LightLife,[4] Quorn, Tofurky, Soy Boy, Sweet Earth, Upton's Naturals, and Hooray Foods.[5][6]

In 2015, the Media Wales reported vegan restaurant Anna Loka in Cardiff served vegan rashers.[7] In 2021, Aldi supermarkets in the United Kingdom added No Pork Streaky Bacon Rashers.[8] Sainsbury's sold vegan sausages wrapped in vegan rashers during Christmas 2021.[9] In 2023, Burger King added vegan bacon, made by La Vie Bakon, to its UK menus.[10][11]

Homemade recipes

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Welsh chef Gaz Oakley makes a vegan version of bacon bits from coconut flakes.[12] The Bangor Daily News reported that vegan expert Avery Yale Kamila said homemade vegan bacon can be made from shiitake mushrooms, rice paper, coconut, eggplant, or banana peels.[13] American musician Lizzo uses maple syrup to cook vegan bacon.[14]

 
A breakfast with strips of tempeh bacon

Vegetarian bacon can also be made at home by marinating strips of tempeh or tofu in various flavorings, such as soy sauce or liquid smoke, and then either frying or baking.[3] Aficionados of raw food also use coconut meat as a bacon substitute.[15] Seitan can also be formed into vegetarian bacon.[16][17][18]

Food writer David Goldbeck suggests frying provolone cheese in a skillet to produce a bacon substitute he calls "cheeson".[19]

Plant based recipes for vegetarian bacon often utilise seitan[20] or rice paper.[21] Flavourings include liquid smoke, nutritional yeast, smoked paprika, and barbecue sauce.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Brighton, Misty Amber (3 February 2014). "What Is Vegetarian Bacon?". wiseGEEK. Retrieved 9 February 2014.
  2. ^ Hale, Alex (2020-12-08). "The best vegan bacon for butties". Good Housekeeping. Retrieved 2021-12-12.
  3. ^ a b "Vegetarian Bacon". bacon.co.uk. Archived from the original on 25 March 2012. Retrieved 18 June 2011.
  4. ^ "Smart Bacon". Archived from the original on 11 May 2011. Retrieved 18 June 2011.
  5. ^ "Hooray Foods releases plant-based bacon". www.meatpoultry.com. Retrieved 2021-12-12.
  6. ^ Taylor, Anne (2021-10-19). "11 Popular Fake Bacon Products, Ranked Worst To Best". Mashed.com. Retrieved 2021-12-12.
  7. ^ Mears, Tyler (2015-08-14). "Cardiff's first 100% vegan restaurant is open for pork sliders". WalesOnline. Retrieved 2021-12-11.
  8. ^ Moloney, Marita; Pugh, Rachel (2021-09-29). "Aldi shoppers 'outraged' as they demand supermarket changes name of new product". Irish Mirror. Retrieved 2021-12-11.
  9. ^ "Sainsbury's Christmas food range is on sale now - here are the highlights". www.scotsman.com. Retrieved 2021-12-11.
  10. ^ Smith, Steven (2022-12-27). "Burger King is bringing back the Bacon King - and this time there's a vegan one". WalesOnline. Retrieved 2022-12-29.
  11. ^ Buxton, Amy (4 January 2023). "Burger King Launches Vegan Bacon And Cheese At All 510 UK Restaurants". Plant Based News. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
  12. ^ Hodgkin, Emily (2021-12-10). "Brussels sprouts recipe: Vegan chef Gaz Oakley's 'bacon' bits - 'you'll love them!'". Express.co.uk. Retrieved 2021-12-11.
  13. ^ Schipani, Sam (2021-08-18). "Banana peels can be the basis for meatless bacon and pulled pork". Bangor Daily News. Retrieved 2021-12-12.
  14. ^ Penn, Farrah (28 July 2020). "Lizzo Posted Her Favorite Hangover Meal On TikTok, So I Tried Making It For Myself". BuzzFeed. Retrieved 2021-12-12.
  15. ^ Carlson, Jen (25 September 2012). "Move Over Bacon: With Pork Shortage Arriving, Try These Fake Bacons". Gothamist. Archived from the original on 5 September 2013.
  16. ^ "Plant-Based Seitan Bacon". Refrigerated & Frozen Foods. March 28, 2014. Archived from the original on Dec 3, 2022.
  17. ^ Yue, Lorene (23 August 2013). "Go gluten-free? No, eat more of it". Crain's Chicago Business. Archived from the original on May 1, 2019.
  18. ^ Warwick, Kevin (7 October 2013). "Upton's Breakroom: For the seitan-loving vegan on the go". Chicago Reader. Archived from the original on Apr 19, 2019.
  19. ^ Vegetarian Times. Active Interest Media, Inc. 1991. Retrieved 3 May 2019.
  20. ^ "Vegan Bacon". Loving It Vegan. 2019-09-12. Retrieved 2022-01-15.
  21. ^ "Easiest Homemade Vegan Bacon Recipe". Vegans 247. 2021-12-17. Archived from the original on 2022-01-15. Retrieved 2022-01-15.