πŸ₯“

Bacon

/ˈbeΙͺkΙ™n/
Food & Drink Unicode 3.0 common

Meanings

1
Food Β· Meat Common

Represents bacon strips, typically cured pork meat. Used to express love for bacon, breakfast foods, or indulgent eating.

Often used in food contexts, breakfast discussions, or to express cravings and dietary preferences.

Making a full English this morning! 🍳πŸ₯“πŸ…πŸ„ πŸ“‹ Instagram food post
I could literally eat πŸ₯“ every day of my life. πŸ“‹ Twitter comment

Bacon has achieved cult status in Western food culture, symbolizing indulgence and comfort food.

2
Food Β· Expression Uncommon

Used metaphorically to represent something irresistible, tempting, or that 'makes everything better'.

Sometimes used in non-food contexts to indicate something that enhances or improves a situation.

This new feature is the πŸ₯“ on our app - everyone loves it! πŸ“‹ Tech company Slack message

The phrase 'everything's better with bacon' has become a cultural meme, extending the emoji's usage beyond literal food references.

Combos with πŸ₯“

πŸ₯“πŸ³
Bacon and eggs, traditional breakfast combination.
Classic Western breakfast pairing, especially in US, UK, and Australia.
πŸ₯“πŸ₯ͺ
Bacon sandwich or BLT (bacon, lettuce, tomato sandwich).
Popular lunch item in Western countries, known as 'bacon butty' in UK.
πŸ₯“πŸ₯ž
Bacon and pancakes, indulgent breakfast combination.
Sweet and savory breakfast pairing popular in North America.
πŸ₯“❀️
Love of bacon or bacon as comfort food.
Expresses the cultural phenomenon of bacon enthusiasm or 'bacon worship'.

Culture

Bacon has transcended being merely a food item to become a cultural phenomenon in Western countries, particularly the US, with devoted fans and merchandise.

The bacon emoji frequently appears in food photography hashtags and has become a staple in breakfast and brunch social media posts.

Millennials popularized the 'bacon culture' trend in the late 2000s, leading to bacon-flavored products and bacon-themed events.

What 'bacon' represents varies by country: streaky bacon in America, back bacon in Britain, and middle bacon in Australia.

Australia Similar to UK usage, often referring to back bacon rather than streaky bacon.
United Kingdom Often refers to back bacon (rashers), which is leaner and includes both the pork loin and belly.
United States Typically represents American-style bacon: thin, streaky strips that are often crispy.
Gen_X: Typically used literally to reference food rather than as part of internet bacon culture.
Gen_Z: Used straightforwardly for food posts but also ironically in memes about 'millennial bacon obsession'.
Older: Limited usage, primarily in food contexts when sharing recipes or family meals.
Millennials: Frequently used by the generation that popularized 'bacon culture'; often appears in brunch posts and food photography.

History

2016

Introduced in Unicode 9.0 as part of a food emoji expansion.

Growing demand for food emojis reflecting popular cuisine items.

2017

Bacon emoji usage spiked with the 'bacon on everything' culinary trend.

Food trend of adding bacon to unexpected items (donuts, ice cream, cocktails).

2019

Began appearing in discussions about plant-based diets as something people miss.

Rise of veganism and plant-based meat alternatives.