I remember eating ham in a restaurant and feeling a mix of surprise and familiarity. My friend immediately said, "That's ham." At the time, I just thought the name might be different, but it was similar to bacon back home. Later, I learned that there are differences between ham and bacon. Bacon is not as refined in its choice of ingredients as ham; it typically selects a specific part of the animal. Any meat can be made into bacon. The bacon and ham we usually eat are made from pork. Bacon is a processed product made by curing and roasting (or exposing to sunlight) pork; ham is made from the pork hind leg, which is salted, smoked, fermented, and dried.

Ham on the market today is typically processed in factories. It's made by controlling temperature and humidity, which can greatly differ in taste from naturally fermented ham. Of course, it can also be made in rural homes, but ultimately, pork legs are too expensive for many people to make themselves.

There's a plethora of bacon on the market. Of course, most of it is smoked directly. Premium bacon is found in rural areas, particularly where there's plenty of wood. For instance, food is abundant in hometowns like Sichuan, Yunnan, Guizhou, Guangxi, and so on. Bacon needs to be smoked and roasted over a hearth. The smoked and roasted bacon has a strong aroma.

In summary, while ham tastes delicious, more people still prefer bacon. This is not only because bacon is aromatic but also because it evokes a unique sensation. In the past, every family in the countryside would make bacon during the Spring Festival. Bacon symbolizes unity and happiness, carrying memories and familial affection. It can be said that bacon is my favorite dish. Whenever I take a bite of bacon, I can always recall the flavors associated with the New Year, hometown, and relatives from the tip of my tongue and taste buds. To every foreigner, it is a treasure, as bacon has become the taste of longing.