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In a recent entry, I poked fun at a 1958 “Chinese” recipe printed by Good Housekeeping whose main ingredient was “luncheon meat.” Sounds sketchy, right? How many Chinese restaurants have you known that featured fresh deli products straight from the wok?
Then a long-time floss reader, Brian, wrote in from Barcelona. “Luncheon ham (also known as Spam) is actually wildly popular with Asian people,” he testified. “My Japanese grandmothers would go crazy for that…so Good Housekeeping may have been more authentic than they knew.”
We quickly stuck up a trans-Atlantic correspondence about our shared love of Spam (and all the generic copycats it inspired)—and this story was born.
• The epicenter of the Spam universe is Austin, Minnesota, home of a spam factory and a remarkable museum dedicated to the town’s most famous product. Spam has such a worldwide following that Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia—to whom Rastafarians would dedicate many a song—once toured the plant.
• Hormel invented Spam in 1937 and still makes it today. At first, the product had a less-than-charismatic name: “Hormel Spiced Ham.”
• If you think there’s just one flavor of Spam, you’re missing out on a world of flavor. There is also hickory-smoked Spam, hot and spicy Spam, garlic Spam, and—for the dieting Spam-lovers among us —“light” Spam. There’s even a collector’s edition Spam Golden Honey Grail.
• Hormel sponsors an annual recipe contest called the “Great American Spam Championship,” with cooks developing new recipes for this product. Some of the 2006 winners state by state: philly cheesesteak spamwich with garlic mayo (California), a-spam-agus risotto (Alabama), and a “romantic country salad for two” with pecan-crusted spam and sweet-and-sour dressing (Tennessee). Extra points, it seems, are given for creative puns.
• Speaking of puns, author Tamar Myers has developed a series of punny murder-mysteries that feature recipes (The Crepes of Wrath, Between a Wok and a Hard Place, The Hand that Rocks the Ladle). The 2005 installment in her series: Play It Again, Spam.
• In South Korea, Spam is considered an appropriate gift for a guest to give a host or vice versa—which beats the hell out of trying to choose a bottle of wine, doesn’t it? In fact, Costco carries a Spam gift pack that will make a perfect holiday gift.
• Hawaii consumes about 7 million cans of Spam per year, which comes out to 5 or 6 cans for every man, woman and child. That’s a lot of sodium and gelatinous fat, which in turn is thought to contribute to Hawaii’s obesity problem. One very popular snack item is the Spam musubi, as shown on the front of this collector’s Spam can…
…[photo courtesy of pomai_05]. It’s a traditional Japanese rice ball with a slice of Spam on top, wrapped in a belt of seaweed to keep that sodium-laden delicacy safely attached – a SEAtbelt, if you will.
• Since 1997, Hormel has sponsored the Waikiki Spam Jam, where it crowns a Mr. or Miss Spam! The 2006 Mr. Spam, a Mr. Wade Balidoy, won a PlayStation and a year’s supply of a certain canned meat product.
• Spam is so popular in some communities that it’s infiltrated big chain restaurants. The McDonald’s breakfast platter in Hawaii includes Spam. In San Francisco’s Japan Town, Denny’s serves a breakfast combo with Spam, two eggs, steamed rice, and kimchee. You can also substitute Vienna sausages for the Spam – or probably negotiate with the waitress to have both.
I’m sorry, but I think Spam is gross.
Good post though, it’s interesting to see what can be made with the stuff.
posted by Melodye on 2-7-2008 at 4:08 pm
I remember in college daring a guy to eat a can of generic Spam. I think it was called YUM!
I guess we were pretty tame for college students.
posted by Witty Nickname on 2-7-2008 at 4:10 pm
Spam always reminds me of that Monty Python skit. Spam spam spam spam….wonderful spam.
posted by Kevin on 2-7-2008 at 4:15 pm
Every year in Austin, Tx we have Spamarama in Waterloo Park. It’s a lot of retarded and cheap fun. Just another one of our weird traditions!
posted by Nikki on 2-7-2008 at 4:25 pm
One of my best friends in high school used to make jokes about the fact that there was Spam in my parents’ fridge. Then one night, we were at her house and I opened up HER fridge and there it was in all its almost-Spam glory: TREET.
Heh. I won that round.
posted by Rachel on 2-7-2008 at 4:29 pm
On a recent trip to Okinawa, I was surprised that the famous Okinawan stir-fry dish “champloo,” more often than not, featured SPAM! (This on a chain of islands where fresh pork is a point of pride.)
The reason comes from the American occupation which lasted from the end of WWII until 1971. Food was scarce when our boys dominated the islands. The soldiers brought a few American cuisine flavors to Okinawa, but the tinned meat especially was adopted with abandon.
Nowadays however the tinned meat of choice is Tulip, not SPAM. Okinawans favor the Denmark-produced variety, so much so that Okinawa became the #1 importer of Tulip’s products.
posted by Andrej on 2-7-2008 at 4:40 pm
I lived on the Pacific island of Saipan, where Spam and Bud Light take up more grocery store space than anything else. There you will also find McDonald’s and other restaurants featuring Spam on their menus. The Americans introduced it to the island during WWII.
posted by Joanna on 2-7-2008 at 4:43 pm
I love SPAM, I think it’s delicious. But I try not to make a habit of eating it… it’s really not very good for you. In fact, I don’t I’ve had any in the past maybe ten years or so!
posted by CK on 2-7-2008 at 4:56 pm
I’m surprised no one has mentioned the famous Fat Tuesday Spam Carving contest in Seattle.
Unfortunately the inspired gift shop owner (Ruby Montana) who started and sponsored the contest for at least ten years moved away and the contest stopped, but it was fun to watch and enter (and hilarious–if you like atrocious puns).
posted by Sheri on 2-7-2008 at 5:11 pm
As a child Spam was a great treat. I remember eating cold Spam sandwiches while fishing with my dad (open tin, slice Spam, slap it between 2 slices of white bread… yum).
I tried it again after a 20 year hiatus and was appalled at the foulness encased in the tin. The stuff I feed my cat smells (and likely tastes) better than that. Fooey!
posted by PJ in SF on 2-7-2008 at 5:13 pm
I second the Austin Texas spam festival. It’s actually really fun. I guess as sister city to Austin, MN we have to make sure Spam is represented. Check spamarama.com
posted by Jason on 2-7-2008 at 5:29 pm
Ah SPAM….Guam loves Spam…I went to the “World’s Largest K-Mart” there (yes it even has parking on the roof) and I was amazed at the Spam display…it was like a whole “Wall of Spam”…Spam is a diet staple there and lots of restaurants use it in their dishes…apparently it’s a versatile product but i still have never tried it…I do still have a can of the Hot N Spicy Spam my mom sent me from there…i’ve had that for close to ten years now and i wonder if it’s still any good…well, we’ll NEVER find that out!
Tano Y Chamorro!
posted by stef on 2-7-2008 at 5:32 pm
I almost claim Austin, MN as my hometown–only 8 miles away. Drove past the Hormel plant a few times every day during high school. Really liked walking around the little Spam Museum, haven’t been to the newer, bigger one, though I contemplated working there. I can say that I absolutely hate Spam, and so does almost everyone I know. The only time I eat it is in macaroni noodle salad at church dinners. Otherwise it’s just plain gross. And yet we’re oddly defensive about it.
This is the second time I’ve run across Austin and its meat-producing fame, there was also a NY Times story published this week about workers at a nearby, practically adjacent pork processing plant getting weirdly sick.
posted by spamarific on 2-7-2008 at 7:45 pm
Again on the Austin Spam-a-rama… one of the winners from a couple of years ago in the recipe contest was a ‘Spamalamadingdong’. If I recall correctly, it did involve chocolate and cool whip… I think it won from sheer audacity for someone to enter such a beast.
posted by Chris P. on 2-7-2008 at 9:12 pm
Once in a while I have a craving for Spam and so I head to the local grocery store to buy a can or two. The only problem is that I feel everyone’s eyes on me–the same feeling I suppose that I would get if I were to buy the large economy-sized box of condoms in a store full of old ladies. At least with Spam, I think it’s one of those self-inflicted class awareness things. I grew up in a modest income (OK poor) household (in fact, first part of it in Korea) and perhaps there is social pressure for me to feel disdain for Spam (and other similar foods like Vienna Sausages) and to live up to my current socioeconomic status. Too bad, all I want is to cut a block of Spam into thin slices, coat the slices in a wash of scrambled eggs and lightly fry them and maybe eat them with a bowl of steaming rice.
posted by Joe M on 2-7-2008 at 9:42 pm
I picked up many Asian cuisine favorites while living in Hawaii (yay for sushi!), but spam was one I could never handle–probably comes from being a partial vegetarian. I do remember there always being the spam musabi in the cafe at school. Ick!
posted by nutmeag on 2-8-2008 at 7:37 am
Simple recipe for spam: It wouldn’t convert anyone into spam lovers, but…
2 cans spam sliced to taste
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup vinegar
diced onion to taste
spam goes into a bread pan, everything else is mixed together and poured on top. cover with foil and pop into a 350 to 400 oven for 20-25 minutes.
My hubby and daughter love that one. I ate far to much of it growing up so I don’t make it anywhere near enough to suit them.
posted by Kathy on 2-8-2008 at 8:05 am
I probably haven’t had Spam for 30 years. But as a child, I remember it being a real treat. My mom would fry it in a skillet, and I’d eat it on white bread with Miracle Whip. (Fried bologna the same way.) I loved it then, but I honestly can’t imagine feeding my child anything with so little nutritional value and so much badness.
I don’t think I’ll ever try it again. I’m afraid to look in the can.
posted by bre on 2-8-2008 at 8:19 am
You didn’t mention the Spam-ku that have been written.
youtube link: youtube.com/watch?v=xUeTFnTxaWo
posted by Austin on 2-8-2008 at 8:58 am
I’ve never actually eaten Spam (it scares me) but once in high school my friends and I found a can of Spam in my parents pantry and we opened it up, stuffed some firecrackers in, lit it and chucked in the bitchy neighbor’s yard. That was a fun, smelly mess for her to wake up to.
Good times!
posted by Marta on 2-8-2008 at 9:01 am
Oooh… Spam vandalism. That would be a good post–episodes of vandalism with food. I’ll bet there are some good ones.
posted by kate on 2-8-2008 at 9:22 am
EVERYONE and I mean EVERYONE in Hawaii LOVES Spam. I used to live there for like 5 years and I remember my favorite break-from-surfing snack was Spam Musubi (sp?), which is white rice with a chunk of Spam in it wrapped in dried seaweed, YUMMY!!
posted by Celeste on 2-8-2008 at 10:36 am
Spam Story #1
When my husband and I were dating, I opened his fridge to see a plate of dry sliced Spam. “Um, you, know, they make this stuff, it’s called saran wrap… or this other stuff, it’s called Tupperware?”
His response? “I like it like that. It’s chewy. It’s Spam Jerky.” I married him anyway. Every year at Christmas my family gives him Spam in his stocking.
posted by Marion on 2-8-2008 at 11:25 am
Spam #2
I have made and served this at parties - despite everyone freaking out about Spam, there’s NEVER any left over!
Pig Newtons
Unroll one roll of crescent roll dough. Pat down the perforations.
Cut chilled block of Spam in half down length. Slice into 1/4 inch thick squares. Lay end to end down middle of dough. Cut dough between slices. Fold up sides. TahDah! Looks just like a Fig Newton, only pink. Pig Newton! Bake seam side down for whatever time it says on crescent roll package. Best warm, with a little bit of bold and Spicy mustard. Will result in some small bits of leftover “spushi” - raw Spam. Eat as the piggies bake.
posted by Marion on 2-8-2008 at 11:32 am
My family is from Hawaii and even to this day my dad LOVES Spam. He’ll usually fry it up and eat it sliced. The rest of my family on th other hand…
posted by heather on 2-8-2008 at 2:21 pm
I already mentioned this in the first SPAM post but I was born and raised in Hawaii and I love SPAM! Cut real thin and pan fried till it’s nice and crispy. Delish! I am also a huge fan of the SPAM musubi and I absolutely adore vienna sausage…either with rice or cut up in mac and cheese. Trust me, you’d like it too if you stopped thinking about all the gross ingredients. It’s like balogna or link sausages. Delicious but kind of sketchy.
posted by Leah Y. on 2-8-2008 at 4:02 pm
I love SPAM, my parents were born and raised in Hawaii and it was a treat to eat as a kid. Raised on the mainland, I’m married with kids. My wife won’t touch it, although my kids have developed a taste for Spam musubi. I’ve heard spam called “Hawaiian Steak” from time to time. One of my fav receipes:
1 can Spam diced
1 large tomato diced
1 large onion diced
1 large bell pepper diced
cook the onion in a pan until it reaches the texture you like (for me very soft). add the bell pepper,tomato, and spam and fry together. serve on top of steamed rice. Ono! :)
posted by Daryl H. on 2-8-2008 at 5:01 pm
I live in South Korea and see the spam gift sets everywhere. It’s not just given as a visitor gift. It’s THE GIFT to give to someone you esteem highly. The principal of our school was given at least one case a year before he moved back to the US.
posted by Joanna on 2-8-2008 at 9:45 pm
In a communications research class in college, my classmates and I opted to study people’s perceptions of SPAM - we had to pick one grocery store item and improve its marketing methods. Needless to say, SPAM can use an image makeover!
The interesting thing was that everyone (minus the token Hawaiian in the group) had negative perceptions of SPAM without ever eating it. Almost across the board, they liked it once they sampled it. If only everyone would give SPAM a shot!
posted by Christa on 2-13-2008 at 5:08 pm
A week without Spam fritters is something I could never contemplate.
posted by Alan (Nottingham, England) on 2-17-2008 at 9:43 am
I spent two years stationed with the Army in Korea, and every night as we walked home from the bar we passed the Spamburger stand which I just couldn’t resist. A burger patty, slice of fried spam, a fried egg, cheese, lettuce, tomato and any condiment you wished. Excellent, tasty, greasy burger to put in your stomach to sop up all the alcohol. We thought it was the best thing on earth. Until we tried one sober, and they never passed our lips again.
posted by Cindy Lee on 2-19-2008 at 12:03 pm
If you’re ever in the Austin, MN area, you have to go through the museum. It is free and they did a great job to show the history of Spam. We went there last summer while on our family voyage through Minnesota.
I personally cannot stand the taste of the stuff, but still found the Spam Museum interesting.
posted by sherry on 2-19-2008 at 2:54 pm
I’d love to get one of those collector edition “Spamalot” cans! I haven’t seen any in our our neck of the woods! Although we really like it we only eat it when we’re on camping trips — for the same reason it was a GI staple — protein which needs no refrigeration. After a long day hiking or canoeing it’s wonderful sliced and cooked over an open flame. Yummy!
posted by Cyndi on 2-20-2008 at 12:39 pm
I have never eaten real ham at my grandmother’s house. Just so you know spam also comes in large weird oval shaped tins (i guess they are supposed to be in the shape of a real ham). I guess it is their family style version. She serves it at Easter trussed up like a real ham. So gross!
posted by stephW on 2-21-2008 at 12:13 pm
It used to be a way of life,
at least here in the South.
Like collard greens, streak o lean
and “Lawdy shut my mouth.”
Somewhere it became a sin
“I swear it’s only ham!?”
I might die tomorrow
but I’m still eat’n spam.
Grandma used to serve it up
baked n fried n battered.
She’d let me heat the bacon grease
and shield me when it splattered.
I’m proud to stand right up and say,
“I have slurped the jam!”
Hate me if you want too
but I love eat’n spam.
Fancy folks with silver spoons
who keep their pinkies raised,
will never know how apropos
when charred and mayonnaised.
So slice up some tomatr’s
and fry it hard yes Ma’am.
Breakfast, lunch or dinner
I’ll have mine with spam.
posted by simplemindedhafwit on 2-22-2008 at 9:38 am
need i say more?
did i hear a yes from the back row?
K then
Gheese Grits and Spam (to the tune of Green eggs and ham)
I am spam.
Spam I am.
Would you eat me
fried real hard
in bacon grease
or gobs a’lard?
Would you, could you
slice me thick?
With toe-may-ters
I’m such a kick.
Some folks eat me
from the can
with pepper sauce
who needs a pan!?
But if ya’ll wanna
please yer mouth
do me like they do
down South….
sliced thick and fried up hard with cheese grits on the side ooooh yea!
posted by simplemindedhafwit on 2-22-2008 at 9:49 am
You could say I have a fetish for Spam. My dad fed it to us as kids. Spam and eggs sandwiches on white bread(preferably Wonder) are a huge nostalgic comfort food. I also love chipped beef on bread. Those in the know recall a different name for that tasty dish. Spam has high quality products for sale at the Spam museum, check it out. Every year, a new Spam calendar! A friend of mine from Guam loves Spam also, again, indicative of the islanders love for the canned meat.
posted by lucky on 2-23-2008 at 7:32 pm
My roomate is Philippina and she loves SPAM. Last night when we went grocery shopping, she told me there are fast food restaurants in the Philippines that serve only SPAM… only different varieties and flavors. Who would have thought? I see her eating it almost everyday and I can’t even get close to it.
posted by Francesca on 2-27-2008 at 11:39 pm
I only use Spam in one dish, and I cannot make this dish to suit me unless it has Spam in it. It replaces ham, I guess, but my Grandma made it so I grew up eating it. Big pot of fresh cabbage (1 large head,cut up) with peeled chunked potatoes, pepper to taste, 1 tsp sugar, and one can of chopped up SPAM added, with some water at the bottom for steaming when lid is put on. Regular SPAM and not “Lite”! Somehow the SPAM blocks ( the size of dice) give off their fat and salt to flavor the dish, and they in turn taste much different (better in my opinion) than the canned SPAM. It’s a dish I rarely tell people about because most people say “SPAM in your cabbage? BARF!” But I grew up on it and one of my sons took to it also and we both will eat bowl after bowl.
posted by Cat on 2-29-2008 at 1:20 pm
I loved Spam when I was growing up (and its lesser-incarnation Treet). (Actually, treat had a better texture.)
Most people that I know who mock Spam have never actually eaten it.
posted by Amanda on 3-1-2008 at 12:44 pm
I remember scratching my head at the widespread popularity of Spam while living in Hawaii. I think it is disgusting, personally, and could not for the life of me figure out why you could actually get it for breakfast at McDonald’s. Then again, when I was living there, Coldstone Creamery had come out with a “wasabi ginger” flavor that apparently was pretty popular with a lot of folks there, and I thought that should’ve never been an ice cream flavor, myself. I guess it’s just a difference of culture. (I’m originally from Michigan, which I don’t think could be any more different than Hawaii.)
posted by Krie on 3-4-2008 at 8:43 am
I never go on a camping trip with the Boy Scouts without my can of Spam. Breakfast - lunch - dinner… just so versatile!
And in the evenings I fry up some “Spam-Fries” - slice the Spam up into little worm-like strings and fry ‘em until just about crispy, drain ‘em a bit on a paper towel and dish ‘em up. I dip these into fancy mustard for a special treat, or sometimes grate some cheese over ‘em. Makes a great movie-watching snack!
posted by Daibhre Mac on 3-7-2008 at 11:39 am
mmm, fried Spam and eggs. This was one of my Dad’s favorites, so we had it fairly frequently when I was growing up. I got my two college-age children hooked when they were little, and now it’s a love we share. I’ll fix it at least once when they’re both home on spring break. Much to my wife’s consternation.
posted by Bob on 3-7-2008 at 12:55 pm
yup, im chinese, and i love spam. we don’t have it as much anymore because its definitely not the healthiest. but if we go to hotpot, i always make sure to order spam. sometimes i crave it, its soo yummy. goes good with sandwiches, eggs, instant noodles, hotpot. mmmmm yummies.
posted by jennifer on 3-9-2008 at 3:26 am
I live in Okinawa and boy do Okinawans love them some pork so spam is right up their alley! I give it as gifts all the time and my Okinawan friends are constantly asking me to buy it on-base because it’s cheaper.
posted by mido on 3-10-2008 at 1:38 am
I am surprised nobody has posted the enduring SPAM urban legend:
The Pacific Islanders were often cannibals (just ask the remains ((leftovers?)) of Captain Cook). These dining habits were discouraged by missionaries — SPAM soon filled the void, as it reputedly has a taste closest to that of “long pig” : P
posted by Pajibill on 3-12-2008 at 12:50 pm
Spam is the best Camping protein pick-up .. sliced thin and fried over a camp fire… sticks to your hips. mmmm..
posted by Hannah on 3-26-2008 at 10:49 am
I used to eat Spam when I was younger, but only in Mac N’ Cheese. Hotdogs don’t do it quit right, not salty enough. Spam cubes are perfect though. Something about salty and cheesy that hits the spot. I might consider trying it again, but it would have to be a last resort type of meal.
posted by Henna on 4-27-2008 at 4:31 am