Bacon: the word alone inspires salivation and nostalgia for its sizzling sound and delectable scent. It's great on its own, obviously, but the entire empire built around this food is hard to ignore. In preparation for Cedar Rapids' biggest celebration of bacon, we have compiled a list of the 10 craziest food items incorporating bacon. Warning: some of these may make you hungry, some might make you nauseous (yet still slightly intrigued).

Look for even more bacon products at the 2014 Cedar Rapids Baconfest on Saturday, September 20 at NewBo City Market.

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    Adam Berry, Getty Images
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    1

    Bacon Martini

    This drink was created in a Santa Monica gastropub. The martini features bacon-infused vodka, which is now sold in stores but can also be homemade by "marinating" your cooked bacon strips in vodka until the fat separates. Garnish this liquid meal with (surprise!) bacon, bacon bits, and/or olives to really drive home that great bacon flavor.

  • Eric Thayer
    Eric Thayer
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    2

    Bacon Apple Pie

    There is only one improvement that can be made on an all-American apple pie, obviously -- adding a bacon weave to the top of it! This recipe is a slightly different take on the sweet and savory combo, which usually defaults to the maple and bacon pairing. If you're willing to put in a little extra work for the bacon weave, this pie could be a holiday party game-changer.

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    Ethan Miller, Getty Images
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    3

    Shake'n Brew (Bacon Milkshake)

    Not sure how much explanation even needs to go into this masterpiece, but we will expand anyway. This is a maple, vanilla ice cream, beer and bacon milkshake, created by the folks at Texas Motor Speedway concessions who wanted to see what would happen when they combined all of the greatest ingredients in existence. Predictably, the shake has been a hit.

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    4

    Baconnaise

    Yes, this is exactly what it sounds like. Bacon flavored mayonnaise is now available for those bacon lovers who need their pork in a spreadable form. This unique spread is vegetarian and kosher, so no one has to miss out on the fun! Spread it on sandwiches, use it as a sauce for your pizza, or just grab a spoon... we won't tell.

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    5

    Bacon Lollipops

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    6

    Canned Bacon

    This product is apparently bringing the practicality back to bacon. Each can has about 3 pounds of cooked bacon, and it claims a shelf life of 10+ years, which could be very disgusting or very exciting news depending on how you choose to look at it. Either way, each can is available for about $17, which definitely makes it cheaper than the old-fashioned, refrigerated stuff.

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    7

    Bacon Soda

    Leave it to this website, the self-described "Bacon Gifts Superstore," to come up with this product. At least in the product description, they acknowledge that there are sure to be some doubting customers out there. However, the website claims that this soft drink is the perfect combination of savory bacon flavor and sugary goodness.

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    8

    Bacon Jam

    Along the same lines of Baconnaise comes another form of spreadable bacon -- bacon flavored jam. It's supposedly a fan favorite, and can be used as a spread or an ingredient in other recipes. We're going out on a limb and saying that this is most likely delicious on everything.

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    9

    Bacon Syrup

    We don't mean syrup to put on your pancakes, because there's not even a question that bacon pancake syrup would be delicious. This type of syrup would be going into your... coffee. That's right, bacon-flavored syrups to be mixed in coffee, lattes, mochas, and blended espresso drinks. Imagining the smell alone is enough to make us wary, but it might be the perfect touch of savory and sweet to some coffee-loving, bacon super-fan out there. The makers of this bacon-y concotion also recommend trying the syrup in alcoholic cocktails.

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    iStock
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    10

    Bacon Hot Chocolate

    Last but not least, there's this weird take on a classic winter treat. Like nearly everything we've mentioned on our list, we're torn between deciding if this sounds delicious or repulsive. Either way, it seems to be a hit based on the reviews from bacon addicts everywhere. There is no actual bacon in the cocoa powder, so maybe it's the perfect solution for new vegetarians missing their favorite meat?

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