Peameal Bacon Sandwich in "Hogtown"

"William Davies Company was a pork processing and packing company in Toronto, Canada. At one time, it was the largest pork packer both in Canada and the British Empire, and it operated Canada's first major chain of food stores. One of Toronto's longstanding nicknames, "Hogtown", is attributable to the millions of pigs processed annually by the William Davies Company."
*from Wikepedia


So whilst in Toronto, I had to try the signature snack at the St. Lawrence Market.

Being a Peameal Bacon virgin, I really didn't know what to expect.
 I soon learned that there is great debate over which stall offers up the best Peameal Bacon sandwich in the St. Lawrence Market.  My hosts had differing opinions.....so we went with the one with the longest lineup. We went with BS's choice since he said it was all round a better sandwich.....the bread roll apparently far superior to the offering at TJD's favorite stall, which he says, offers up the best Peameal Bacon.

It seems the Carousel Bakery is the most popular spot in the market for this Toronto classic sandwich.

We arrived mid-morning on a Saturday.  The Market was packed full of shoppers and many were strolling around with these Peameal sandwiches in hand.

The bacon is thickly cut and fried up for each sandwich.  I must have had at least 

1/2 lb of porky goodness in my sandwich.  The slightly crusty soft bun was really a perfect vehicle to deliver this tasty bacon.  After you get handed a fresh from the oven bun, piled high with layers of peameal bacon, you get to choose which condiments to have. (they have everything from sirracha to mayo) I went with a simple hot mustard.

OK...the first bite, popping the peameal bacon cherry, as it were.

Imagine biting through a warm soft, chewy roll into a gigantic pile of tender juicy bacon.  Yup huge flavor explosion of porky goodness.....

For my first time....this was OH SO GOOD!  I think I might have shed a teeny tear when I got down to my last bite....and where did the sudden urge for a cigarette come from?

ohhh......just writing this up is making my mouth water for this luscious sandwich all over again.

Thank you BS and TJD for introducing this delight to me.  I will be back for more!

So what exactly is Peameal Bacon?

Peameal Bacon is similar to Canadian Back Bacon though it is cured and not smoked. The term peameal comes from the ground yellow peas with which the bacon was originally coated.
This ensured better curing and shelf life and avoided bacterial problems. Over the years this tradition was changed to cornmeal, due to the availability of corn.