The Unexpected Product That's Aimed At Bacon Lovers

There's nothing quite like the smell of bacon sizzling on the stove to rouse you from your Saturday-morning slumber, even if your plant-based diet prevents you from indulging in the cured pork product. Here's a fun fact to bust out at your next party: The reason bacon smells (and tastes) so good is due to something called the Maillard Reaction, which Serious Eats defines as the "many small, simultaneous chemical reactions that occur when proteins and sugars in and on your food are transformed by heat, producing new flavors, aromas, and colors." It's the reaction that makes your buttered toast malty, your coffee rich and complex, your caramelized onions, uh, caramel-y, and your bacon irresistibly smoky and sweet. 

Bacon's particularly affecting aroma has led to a host of bacon-scented products that are not for eating, including Hormel's "Black Label Breathable Bacon" face mask and bacon-scented wrapping paper. In line with a curiously prolific trend, the meat-packing company Wright Brand Foods announced a new non-edible bacon product that will allow bacon lovers to smell like their favorite meat all day long.