Chocolate-covered bacon is an American dish that consists of cooked bacon with a coating of either milk chocolateordark chocolate. It can be topped with sea salt, crumbled pistachios, walnuts, or almond bits.[2][3] References on the internet date back at least to 2005. The popularity of the dish has spread worldwide, and the dish has featured on television shows about food. A variant has been served at state fairs, where the bacon is served with chocolate sauce for dipping, and the dish has been developed into a gourmet food bar.
A similar food, called "Chocolate salo" originated in Ukraine. Candy manufacturer Confectionery Factory made an April Fool's Day version of the treat out of caramel and some rendered pork fat, giving a candy with a salty flavor similar to salo in chocolate.[4]
Typically, streaky bacon is used to make chocolate-covered bacon, although other cuts may be used. It is first cooked and then immersed in melted chocolate; toppings (if any) are added, and the dish is allowed to cool.[3] A variation is to dip the bacon in melted chocolate for a partial coating, leaving some of the bacon showing.
The popularity in the United States of bacon combined with sweet ingredients, caused by the quick (and sometimes viral) spreading of recipes in national media and on the Internet, has led to unexpected culinary inventions, such as candied bacon cubes,[10] which are based on a recipe for "Candied bacon with whipped cream" printed in The New York Times,[11] and bacon strips baked with brown sugar used as garnish for martinis.[12]
