Everything tastes better with bacon. That’s one of the lessons I learned early in my culinary life. Just constantly mingling with the best chefs in the country, you learn the secrets behind the good food they serve — more so because a lot of them are generous in sharing their knowledge, and almost all of them willingly and voluntarily tell you that bacon makes a whole lot of difference in a dish. The salty, slightly sweet (depending on the variant) and kind of smoky taste of bacon adds a new dimension of flavor to any dish, be it a salad, soup, fish or seafood dish, meat course or, yes, even dessert! Quite a number of creative and innovative chefs have boldly introduced bacon into their dessert and got pleasantly surprised that the unconventional combination actually worked.

Small wonder, then, that fast-food restaurants turn to bacon and add it to their products, especially burgers and sandwiches, to make them even more delicious. Plus, the crunch of crispy bacon adds texture and character to them. So delicious that diners would crave for it and keep coming back for more.

KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken) did not just add bacon to its signature Zinger chicken fillet sandwich. It turned bacon into three different forms — baconnaise sauce, smoky BBQ bacon relish, and strips of bacon — and put them all in one sandwich aptly called Baconized Zinger. The burger bun is sliced, lightly toasted, with the lower half smothered with smoky BBQ bacon relish layered with KFC’s signature Zinger chicken fillet, topped with a slice of cheese and fresh lettuce, drizzled with baconnaise sauce, crowned with a bacon strip, and covered with the top half of the bun.

Whew! If that is not a loaded sandwich, what is?

The newly launched KFC Baconized Zinger is available in several meal deals — Baconized Zinger ala carte at P150, Baconized Zinger Combo Meal (sandwich paired with your favorite fixin’ and drink) at P199, Baconized Snacker Ala Carte (Junior Zinger fillet topped with lettuce and loaded with smoky barbecue bacon relish, baconnaise sauce and strips of bacon) at P100, Baconized Snacker Combo Meal (Junior Zinger sandwich paired with your favorite fixin’ and drink) at P154, Snacker Fully Loaded Meal (Baconized Snacker sandwich, one-piece Chicken, rice and drink) at P195, and Baconized Bucket of Fries (KFC’s signature thick-cut flavored fries in junior bucket, drizzled with baconnaise sauce, smoky BBQ bacon relish and shredded cheese) at P99.

The common factor is bacon, which is the secret ingredient that adds a deeper flavor to anything you put it into. Now, it’s on KFC’s signature sandwiches and fries. Where next?