Smoky Niman Ranch bacon may have been on the menu at Elton John’s big 60th-birthday bash, but we’d bet a whole slab that the Rocket Man didn’t have the fab new flavors that the folks at Niman just launched. So here’s your chance to play hipster tastemaker. Take your pick, sweetness or heat: black pepper, chipotle, and maple varieties mean that old standbys such as club sandwiches, Sunday-morning omelettes, and savory rasher-wrapped anythings have a fresh new flavor profile. Not only that, but we believe that happy hogs do indeed make better bacon, and the folks at Niman are known for their sustainable farming methods and humane animal husbandry. The new stuff’s just hitting the shelves, but it likely won’t stay there long — giving a whole new meaning to the old “when pigs fly” bit.
Available for approximately $8.50 for a 12-ounce package at DeLuca’s Market, 11 Charles Street, in Boston. Call 617.523.4343.