By: Nancy Whitaker
One certain meat product I had forgotten about was good old canned Spam. I posed the question on social media about Spam and I was surprised how much people like it. Spam always came in a square-like can with a key. You had to take the key and hook it onto a strip of metal and go clear around the can to get it open. Many times I broke the key and had to resort to a screwdriver.
Exactly what is Spam and what is in it? It used to be one of the cheaper meat products, and I have not bought it for a long time, but I am sure the price has went up. The Hormel Company makes Spam and unlike a hot dog, which contain separated animal parts, Spam is made from pork shoulder, ham, salt, water, sugar, starch and sodium.
The Hormel plant in Austin, Minnesota produces SPAM for the company. It is also the home of the SPAM museum. The museum is one of the top tourist attractions in the state and features interactive exhibits dedicated to the history and use of the canned meat product. I think it would be fun to go visit the SPAM Museum and observe some of their history.
Since it does not spoil easily and does not require refrigeration, SPAM was the ideal food for soldiers fighting in World War II. During the war, the United States shipped more than 100 million pounds of the meat to its allies in Europe. Former Russian president Nikita Kruschev once said that SPAM saved his country’s army.
State and regional fairs across the United States have annual SPAM recipe contests. Personally I have never saw a SPAM recipe contest at any fairs around here, but I think it would be a great idea. Some of the contests introduced to the world such delicacies as SPAM Mousse, SPAM Cheesecake, and SPAM stew
SPAM is also popular in the Philippines where the restaurant SPAMJAM opened in 2004. The menu features SPAM-based delicacies like SPAM burgers, SPAM spaghetti, and SPAM nuggets.
Not only do these places consume more SPAM per person than anywhere else in the United States, but also fast food chains Burger King and McDonalds offer SPAM sandwiches on their menus.
Hormel once offered Monty Python free cans of SPAM. One of the signature scenes in the movie depicted a lady trying to order something SPAM free in a restaurant. This caught the attention of Hormel and SPAM sandwiches were enjoyed by the actors.
Each year Hormel sponsors a SPAM recipe contest. The focus is on taste, creativity, presentation and using 10 ingredients or less. In 2014, contestants were asked to submit an appetizer using SPAM.
In my social media quest to find out who recalls SPAM and how they like to eat it answers were somewhat different. A lot of people liked to eat it right out of the can sliced and on a sandwich with onion, while others rolled theirs in flour and fried it. I did not find too many that didn’t like it. One guy noted he used to take SPAM sandwiches to school ever day in his lunch.
I remember when I was young and first married. I took a can of SPAM, put carrots and potatoes around it and cooked it like a roast.
I have also made ground up SPAM sandwiches with Velveeta cheese. I remember adding Ketsup to the mixture, putting it on buns, wrapping in foil and putting in the oven. This was one of the special foods we used to serve at Bunco years ago.
With gas prices going up it has been suggested that food prices are going to continue to rise. I have recently observed plain old hamburger priced at over $6.00 a pound. Who knows maybe we will be bringing things like SPAM back to our supper tables. You know, I think I am going to go buy me a can of SPAM and see what I can come up with. Maybe it will be so good I will win the recipe contest and win SPAM for the rest of my life.
Do you like SPAM? How many ways have you served it? Would you like to see SPAM served in restaurants? Let me know and I’ll give you a Penny for Your Thoughts.
