SPAM — An American wonder food
Dear readers, you may not agree with me on this one, but SPAM – in my opinion is one of the greatest food inventions ever produced. From my point of view, you either love SPAM or you hate it. And even if you hate it, keep reading anyway – you just might learn something. SPAM started out officially in 1937 as a product of the Hormel Corporation located in Austin, Minnesota. A canned source of meat that did not require refrigeration was a novel concept at the time and the affordability of the product made it very popular for many households. The company called it a “Miracle Meat.” The predecessor to SPAM was a canned lunchmeat that butchers sold in delis by the slice, but the cans came in 6-pound portions, which drove the need to produce a smaller version for household use.
There has been some debate over where the name comes from. Some say it’s a combination of “spice” and “ham,” while American servicemen returning from World War 2 called it “Semi-Processed-Almost- Meat”, probably because they were served so much of it overseas. Another popular speculation is that SPAM is an acronym of “Shoulder of Pork and Ham,” but the truth is that there was a naming contest during a New Year’s Eve party and the VP of the Hormel Company shouted out “SPAM”! And the name just stuck after that.
It might surprise you to know that there are only 6 ingredients in SPAM: pork shoulder, salt, water, potato starch, sugar, and sodium nitrate. These ingredients are not unlike what you might find in some hot dog brands. (But NOT in the ones that I sell!) SPAM is vacuum sealed which prevents the meat from swelling in the can. This technology took several years to perfect, but it is a big benefit towards the product’s durability and shelf life. Speaking of shelf life, each can has a “best by” date on it, but as long as the can is not damaged, SPAM can last anywhere from 3 to 5 years. However, there are those who attest to the “fact” that SPAM has an unlimited shelf life and can be safely consumed decades after purchase. I’m a huge fan, but not that big. I wouldn’t risk it; plus – the SPAM in my pantry doesn’t stay there that long anyway.
SPAM is amazingly popular in Hawaii, but it has a dubious past. During World War 2, Japanese Americans were interned in camps in various places on the mainland of the United States. In Hawaii, Japanese Americans ran the deep-sea fishing industry which was labor sourced by the native Hawaiians. In an effort to weaken the ties with the Japanese Americans, the United States placed the Hawaiians under strict sanctions, restricting their deep-sea fishing industry. Essentially, this cut off the main source of food for the Hawaiians since they could no longer fish and they turned out of necessity to SPAM which was in abundance from the servicemen stationed there. Today, SPAM is a delicacy in Hawaii with over 20 different varieties available. Additionally, Hawaiians are very particular about how they use SPAM and they have elevated it to the highest levels of their cuisine. Today, Spam fervor in Hawaii has sustained a decade-old Spam festival in Waikiki, where chefs and Spam-lovers gather to appreciate and explore the lunchmeat’s role in Hawaiian culture. Earlier this spring, the 12th-annual Spam Jam saw more than 24,000 attendees converge to sample dishes like Spam lettuce wraps, Spam and corn chowder, Spam-and-basil on Sicilian-style pizza, and a dessert dubbed “Mom’s Puerto Rican Spam flan.” Is anyone else getting hungry? I think I’ll go make a Spamwich.
The column represents the thoughts and opinions of Alan Shoalmire. Opinion columns are NOT the opinion of the Navasota Examiner.
Alan Shoalmire is a resident in Grimes County and the owner of Grill Sergeant Hotdogs and submits a column to the Navasota Examiner every other week.
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