Baconnaise
Encyclopedia
Baconnaise is a kosher mayonnaise
-based product that was especially made to taste like bacon
. It was created by Justin Esch and Dave Lefkow, founders of J&D's Foods, in November 2008 and sold 40,000 jars within six months. It was test-marketed
in Grand Forks, North Dakota
, in order to determine the viability of consumers buying the product. After being featured on both The Daily Show
and The Oprah Winfrey Show
, sales of baconnaise increased significantly, with more than a million jars having been sold.
interviewing Esch and Lefkow, they stated that they came up with the original idea for bacon products and their first invention, Bacon Salt, while having a joke about the subject over a meal at a diner. The money for their startup
came from the $5000 that Lefkow had obtained while on America's Funniest Home Videos
. Together, they created interest in their products by going to numerous sporting events dressed in bacon costumes and also used social networking sites to raise awareness of their company.
During the February 25, 2009 episode of the The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, Jon Stewart made fun of the product by eating "some Baconnaise on a 'Pancake on a Stick' and immediately gagg[ing]." He stated afterwards, "Baconnaise, for people who want to get heart disease but, you know, too lazy to actually make bacon." Utilizing it as a prop in a later episode, Stewart referred to baconnaise as "capitalism's greatest triumph".
Baconnaise was discussed on The Oprah Winfrey Show
on April 24, 2009 and Esch and Lefkow were interviewed by Oprah via Skype
. After she and her guests ate sandwiches that used the product, she commented, "Vegetarian and kosher! Thanks Justin and Dave! Get your own Baconnaise!" After her endorsement, the amount of traffic on the company website and telephones increased to the extent that "our servers crashed, our internet crashed, our phones crashed." Alongside this, sales of the product increased tremendously from the involvement of Oprah's fans, with Lefkow saying that, after a year from the airing of the show, "we had sold over a million jars of Baconnaise" within that time period.
, but that the actual process and ingredients in the product are a trade secret
. Other ingredients listed on the jars include natural smoke flavor and tocopherols.
Mayonnaise
Mayonnaise, , often abbreviated as mayo, is a sauce. It is a stable emulsion of oil, egg yolk and either vinegar or lemon juice, with many options for embellishment with other herbs and spices. Lecithin in the egg yolk is the emulsifier. Mayonnaise varies in color but is often white, cream, or pale...
-based product that was especially made to taste like bacon
Bacon
Bacon is a cured meat prepared from a pig. It is first cured using large quantities of salt, either in a brine or in a dry packing; the result is fresh bacon . Fresh bacon may then be further dried for weeks or months in cold air, boiled, or smoked. Fresh and dried bacon must be cooked before eating...
. It was created by Justin Esch and Dave Lefkow, founders of J&D's Foods, in November 2008 and sold 40,000 jars within six months. It was test-marketed
Test market
A test market, in the field of business and marketing, is a geographic region or demographic group used to gauge the viability of a product or service in the mass market prior to a wide scale roll-out...
in Grand Forks, North Dakota
Grand Forks, North Dakota
Grand Forks is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of North Dakota and the county seat of Grand Forks County. According to the 2010 census, the city's population was 52,838, while that of the city and surrounding metropolitan area was 98,461...
, in order to determine the viability of consumers buying the product. After being featured on both The Daily Show
The Daily Show
The Daily Show , is an American late night satirical television program airing each Monday through Thursday on Comedy Central. The half-hour long show premiered on July 21, 1996, and was hosted by Craig Kilborn until December 1998...
and The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show is an American syndicated talk show hosted and produced by its namesake Oprah Winfrey. It ran nationally for 25 seasons beginning in 1986, before concluding in 2011. It is the highest-rated talk show in American television history....
, sales of baconnaise increased significantly, with more than a million jars having been sold.
History
In a news report with ABC NewsABC News
ABC News is the news gathering and broadcasting division of American broadcast television network ABC, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company...
interviewing Esch and Lefkow, they stated that they came up with the original idea for bacon products and their first invention, Bacon Salt, while having a joke about the subject over a meal at a diner. The money for their startup
Startup company
A startup company or startup is a company with a limited operating history. These companies, generally newly created, are in a phase of development and research for markets...
came from the $5000 that Lefkow had obtained while on America's Funniest Home Videos
America's Funniest Home Videos
America's Funniest Home Videos is an American reality television program on ABC in which viewers are able to send in humorous homemade videotapes. The most common videos usually feature slapstick physical comedy arising from incidents, accidents and mishaps...
. Together, they created interest in their products by going to numerous sporting events dressed in bacon costumes and also used social networking sites to raise awareness of their company.
During the February 25, 2009 episode of the The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, Jon Stewart made fun of the product by eating "some Baconnaise on a 'Pancake on a Stick' and immediately gagg[ing]." He stated afterwards, "Baconnaise, for people who want to get heart disease but, you know, too lazy to actually make bacon." Utilizing it as a prop in a later episode, Stewart referred to baconnaise as "capitalism's greatest triumph".
Baconnaise was discussed on The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show is an American syndicated talk show hosted and produced by its namesake Oprah Winfrey. It ran nationally for 25 seasons beginning in 1986, before concluding in 2011. It is the highest-rated talk show in American television history....
on April 24, 2009 and Esch and Lefkow were interviewed by Oprah via Skype
Skype
Skype is a software application that allows users to make voice and video calls and chat over the Internet. Calls to other users within the Skype service are free, while calls to both traditional landline telephones and mobile phones can be made for a fee using a debit-based user account system...
. After she and her guests ate sandwiches that used the product, she commented, "Vegetarian and kosher! Thanks Justin and Dave! Get your own Baconnaise!" After her endorsement, the amount of traffic on the company website and telephones increased to the extent that "our servers crashed, our internet crashed, our phones crashed." Alongside this, sales of the product increased tremendously from the involvement of Oprah's fans, with Lefkow saying that, after a year from the airing of the show, "we had sold over a million jars of Baconnaise" within that time period.
Production
Esch and Lefkow have stated that they started with just mayonnaise and bacon and worked with chefs to determine how to have mayonnaise that tastes like bacon without having bacon as an ingredient. They have also stated that baconnaise has no artificial flavors or MSGMonosodium glutamate
Monosodium glutamate, also known as sodium glutamate or MSG, is the sodium salt of glutamic acid, one of the most abundant naturally occurring non-essential amino acids....
, but that the actual process and ingredients in the product are a trade secret
Trade secret
A trade secret is a formula, practice, process, design, instrument, pattern, or compilation of information which is not generally known or reasonably ascertainable, by which a business can obtain an economic advantage over competitors or customers...
. Other ingredients listed on the jars include natural smoke flavor and tocopherols.