As Valentine’s Day approaches, millions are dreaming about that special someone and what romantic gift he or she would swoon over. While some are purchasing popular greeting cards, red roses, and heart-shaped chocolates, the only thing occupying the minds at Smithfield is bacon. Motivated by what some may consider a delicious cure-all, the bacon experts wanted to see if others shared their passion for pork.
After conducting a national survey of U.S. adults, the folks at Smithfield were happy to learn that they were not alone. More than three-quarters of Americans surveyed, 78%, agree that bacon makes everything better. Now that’s one true love that Americans can agree on.
As if America’s penchant for bacon couldn’t become any clearer, survey results showed that 53% of Americans eat bacon at least once per week. The results also showed that 64% of Americans would likely include bacon if they could only eat one meal for the rest of their lives. In fact, 78% of foodies agreed that they would support a petition to declare bacon as the official, national food of the United States of America.
If that doesn’t seem extreme enough, 51% surveyed said they are willing to go to extremes for a lifetime supply of the chewy meat candy. This includes saying, “oink” at the end of every sentence, decorating a bacon-themed room in their home, and painting their car to resemble a strip of bacon.
To examine the connection between Valentine’s Day and bacon in particular, Smithfield asked what respondents love more – bacon or Valentine’s Day. To their surprise, 60% of respondents chose the sizzling strips over the hallmark holiday. Even some Millennials love bacon so much that 4 out of 10 would rather see bacon at the breakfast table instead of their significant other.
However, for those who would still prefer to celebrate Valentine’s Day, look no further than the refrigerator for a thoughtful gift as 41% of Americans surveyed prefer a bouquet of bacon in lieu of a bouquet of roses. With this key learning, Smithfield is declaring Valentine’s Day, Valen-swine’s Day. So give your special Valenswine a handmade bouquet made with Smithfield Thick Cut Bacon that they’ll be sure to love:
To assemble the bacon bouquet, roll the bacon strips into individual rose buds and secure with a toothpick if necessary. Place the bacon rose buds into a mini muffin pan and bake for 30 to 40 minutes. When the bacon rose buds are fully cooked, remove them from the oven and place on paper towels to cool and set. Once they are fully cooled, place the individual on faux rose stems, with the fabric petals removed. Finally, arrange the bacon roses in a glass vase and share the homemade deliciousness with that special someone.
About Smithfield Foods
Smithfield Foods is a $12 billion global food company and the world’s largest pork processor and hog producer. In the United States, the company is also the leader in numerous packaged meats categories with popular brands including Farmland, Smithfield, Eckrich, Armour and John Morrell. Smithfield Foods is committed to providing good food in a responsible way and maintains robust animal care, community involvement, employee safety, environmental, and food safety and quality programs. For more information, visit www.smithfieldfoods.com.
