The word rasher most likely comes from the Latin rado, rasi, rasum, radere, meaning to scrape, shave or scratch. The original spelling of rasher may have been rasure, similar to erasure, from the same root. The word abrade or abrasion also comes from this root, referring to a scrape or scratch.

That old verb, the dictionary says, may be derived from a defunct meaning of the verb “raze” (to scrape or shave off), from rādere, which is “scrape” in Latin. If that’s the origin of “rasher,” then it perhaps originally referred “to the practice of scoring a slice of meat before grilling or frying it,” the OED adds.

The definition of a rasher is a portion or slice of bacon or ham. An example of a rasher is the three slices of bacon served with an English breakfast. noun. 7. 2.

Back bacon is the most common form in the UK and Ireland, and is the usual meaning of the plain term “bacon”. A thin slice of bacon is known as a rasher; about 70% of bacon is sold as rashers.

loin
Rasher Bacon (Rashers). – Rashers come from the loin area, which is located in the mid-back of a pig and consists of leaner meat. This cut of meat is the identical cut to that called pork tenderloin or loin roast in the U.S. Rashers are simply cured and sliced in a different manner.

a portion or serving of bacon, usually three or four slices.

1. A thin slice of fried or broiled bacon. 2.

Bacon. Traditionally, bacon is made by rubbing cuts of pork loin or belly with a mixture of salt and spices and leaving the meat for a week, before it is washed with warm water, dried and smoked. And you can still buy bacon made that way, if you’re willing to pay for it.

Back bacon (called Irish bacon/Rashers or Canadian bacon in the United States) comes from the loin in the middle of the back of the pig. It is a very lean, meaty cut of bacon, with less fat compared to other cuts. It has a ham-like texture.

pork loin
Canadian Bacon The round slices are a type of back bacon made from pork loin, a cut of meat from the middle back of the pig. Leaner than regular bacon, Canadian bacon is cured and smoked with a flavor closer to that of ham.

The difference in shape is due to the fact that each style of bacon comes from different cuts of pork. American bacon comes from pork belly, which is a much fattier cut of meat. British bacon, on the other hand, comes from the loin which is a much leaner cut.