Getting A Little Extra Bacon

It’s an interesting phrase, I realize.  To “Get a little extra bacon” could mean several things, all ranging from the good, like making more money, to the perverse, which doesn't need to be explained.  But for me, when I talk about getting a little extra bacon, it has nothing to do with last night's date, marital favors or investment planning.  It’s all about, literally, getting extra bacon.

This could happen to anyone.  Not just in Italy, but all over the world, employees and shop owners give their customers some of their product for free.  For me, the lucky day came months ago, when I went to my normal outdoor market.  After careful analysis of clientele, meaning I watched which booth was the busiest every time, I noticed that one vendor in particular always had a large line.  They either had excellent prices, or excellent product.  And I wasn't about to miss out on any of those chances. 

Upon getting closer, I found out the vendor was a deli, and a rather well stocked one at that.  They had all the meats.  Prosciutto di San Daniele, also from Parma.  They had salami piccante, salami with fennel, salami from Milan, from Hungary, Salami from Spain and of two different types, one coated in herbs, the other in pepper.  And then there was Lonza, like a cured pork loin, and Lonzino, the best part of the loin with the least amount of fat. Pancetta was offered, both round like a tube of salami or flat like bacon, and then there was the smoked kind. Bresaola was there right next to it, its bright red interior of cured beef makes an amazing salad when it’s sliced thin and combined with olive oil, shavings of parmesan cheese and leaves of arugula.

The vendor offered tons of different cheese, where I often purchased my favorite mozzarella bufala. Then of course there were the olives, pesto sauces, random groceries they offered and fresh breads.  Really I purchased lots from there because their prices were in fact fair, but additionally, the people were really nice and even corrected my terrible Italian if I said something wrong.

After bringing my business to them for about three weeks, I had one trip where I needed a couple different meats for sandwiches as well as some pancetta affumicata, bacon as we know it. After slicing the amount I requested (remember that this isn’t America, prepackaged bacon slices don’t really exist here which is a good thing), the owner had a nub left of what she cut the bacon from. 

First she weighed the amount I asked for and printed the receipt for it, then she looked at the nub of delicious cured and smoked pork, looked at me, smiled, and wrapped up the chunk and through it in the bag.

The “nub” of bacon was the same weight as the amount of bacon I had just purchased.  Did I just get a BOGO? Buy One, Get One Free?

I did indeed.  And I learned that it pays to be a good, consistent customer.