Few things in life make it worth living quite like bacon. Seriously, don’t trust anyone who doesn’t like the heavenly salty/crispy/meaty deliciousness that is bacon. Hipsters may have tried to ruin it with the overabundance of bacon references and products, but the product itself survived unscathed. One high point of this breakfast meat is that the joy of bacon doesn’t start when you eat it, but when it begins to cook and you start to smell it.

It turns out, the amazing aroma stems from 150 organic compounds. As heat is applied, sugars, amino acids, and fat in the meat undergo Maillard reactions, and creates the molecules used in their aroma. While many of these compounds smell amazing on their own, they are a force to be reckoned with when they are smelled in concert.

Want more information about the glorious aroma of bacon? Check it out:

[Header image “Perfect bacon slices” by Lara604 via flickr, used in accordance with CC BY 2.0]