Style Edit: Baken, the world’s first all-bacon snack range, debuts in Hong Kong

Ask people to name a crave-worthy food and bacon will top many lists. But given the passion that it inspires, isn’t it curious that bacon is chiefly regarded as a morning dish? You might see it as a burger topping at lunch, or occasionally crumbled over a salad, but mostly, bacon means breakfast.

Hoping to change that is branding visionary (and bacon lover) Rachel Carrasco, founder and CEO of Philippine food company Baken. As the world’s first all-bacon snack range, Baken wants to see the beloved food item crossover from breakfast to all-day parts and become a modern pantry staple.

That proposition generated a buzz during August’s HKTDC Food Expo Pro at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. Baken used the high-profile industry platform to perk up the palates of dozens of senior food professionals with a portfolio of category disrupters: award-winning Real Bacon Crisps, Bacon Cookies and Bacon Jam.

With its “premium appetite and high-value consumer base”, Hong Kong is “the ideal place to begin scaling our international footprint”, Carrasco said.

The gustatory surprises didn’t stop there. On the second evening of the expo, Baken hosted an intimate dinner at Hong Kong’s Michelin-starred restaurant Louise for industry figures, media, business associates and Philippine consular representatives.

The menu was designed to showcase the creative possibilities of the Baken range: scallop crudo with Bacon Jam; Oita egg with smoked potato and bacon foam; Hong Kong chicken rice, with Real Bacon Crisps for added crunch; and banana turon millefeuille finished with Bacon Cookie ice cream. “Baken is a unique and creative product that keeps the essence of bacon while opening new possibilities for chefs,” said executive chef Loïc Portalier. “It was exciting to build a menu around a single ingredient.”