N = C + {fb (cm) . fb (tc)} + fb (Ts) + fc

Close on the heels of a conversation with my mom about bacon—namely her love of bacon and only crispy bacon for those of you making notes—I came across this article proving that scientists in Leeds love bacon too! And, er, you guessed it—only crispy bacon!

The article is about these scientists and their quest to discover the perfect Bacon Butty—and I'm not talking while on their lunch break. I'm talking bona fide research! Over 1,000 hours spent testing over 700 variations of the traditional bacon sandwich! All of this to determine that people prefer crispy or crunchy bacon rashers or slices.

According to this most serious of research, the taste or smell of the bacon don't matter, it's the texture. Alright. Sure, I told you that my mother, who's not a scientist, has already determined this. Although, using the logic of today's scientific discovery, we could deduce that eating potato chips between two slices of bread would be the best bacon sandwich, that is, if smell and taste don't matter.

Crunch aside, I was most attracted to the article because of this:

The formula is: N = C + {fb (cm) . fb (tc)} + fb (Ts) + fc . ta, where N=force in Newtons required to break the cooked bacon, fb=function of the bacon type, fc=function of the condiment/filling effect, Ts=serving temperature, tc=cooking time, ta=time or duration of application of condiment/filling, cm=cooking method, C=Newtons required to break uncooked bacon.

On a related note, the Wikipedia entry for Bacon Butty named similar sandwiches, namely the Chip Butty and Crisp Sandwich, which again, based upon today's scientific findings, I deduce to be the best bacon sandwich. Enjoy.