Welcome to BENSA!
B.E.N.S.A. is an acronym for Bacon Enthusiasts ‘N Swine Aficionados.
The name was also chosen because it rhymes nicely with Mensa, the international organization for smart people with high IQs. But unlike Mensa, BENSA accepts bacon-loving members of all intelligence levels.
BENSA was founded by bacon expert Eliza Cross, author of more than a dozen cookbooks. She has written three bacon cookbooks including the award-winning Bacon Beans and Beer, the bestselling 101 Things to Do With Bacon, and the popular sequel 101 More Things to Do With Bacon.
Eliza is an E.A.T. Certified Food Judge who has served as a judge for numerous culinary events, including the World Food Championships, Bacon and Beer Classic, Chicken Fight! fried chicken festival, Top Taco and others.
She has been featured by publications like USA Today, Men’s Health, and Forbes, and her media appearances include Denver’s CBS-4, ABC-TV in Phoenix, Wisconsin Public Radio’s Central Time, and the Clear Channel’s Focus show.
The Greater BENSA Community
BENSA celebrates artisan bacon makers, restaurants, chefs, grillers, bloggers, home cooks and eaters who are crazy for bacon and think it deserves its own food group.
We showcase many makers, cooks and delectable bacon offerings on our Instagram page. We also have a private Bacon Recipes Group you can join, if you enjoy sharing and discovering creative ways to cook bacon.
We applaud pork producers who raise their animals humanely, and support organizations like Slow Food.
BENSA also proudly supports World Central Kitchen, Mississippi Heroes and BACON for Hope.
If you love the savory, smoky flavor of great bacon, we hope you’ll consider BENSA your home.
Be sure to check out our current Top 5 most popular bacon recipes: