Too funny & yup bacon is definitely wonderful as is hickory sauce. Spock is right though, to have forewarned them would have diminished the learning experience. I could just picture this unfolding. You have the characters voices just right, the mystification and the banter.
That was a lot of fun! And of COURSE Kirk managed to make friends and teach them about bacon! I love that their test was to throw meat at them and see what happens! Food makes a great way to show understanding! There are a lot of customs and traditions around food, which can make it complicated to not insult a culture, but also something that most cultures have in common, even if the customs vary greatly.
This was brilliant!! What an interesting way of communicating with an alien race - but, in the end, it makes perfect sense. Accepting the meat really was a display of trust, and the symbolism of food and hospitality was a perfect way to start diplomatic relations. Your premise had a great build up and conclusion - and it was wonderful to see Kirk and Uhura working together, along with Spock's 'lesson' at the end. Too fun. This was a wonderful gift! Thanks so much for sharing with us all.