Among the many over-hyped, under-appreciated products that have come and gone over the years, SPAM has perhaps the longest shelf life. Humble yet gaudy, practical and novel, the happy yellow letters have graced canned meat aisles for more than 60 years.
Short for \shoulder of pork and ham,"" SPAM has often been the butt of ridicule and exploitation, from Monty Python's SPAM skit in the '70s, to SPAM T-shirts, ties and boxers on K-mart racks throughout the '90s.
""People make fun of it, it's looked down on, but Spam is a big, successful product for Hormel,"" UW professor and meat specialist Dennis R. Buege said.
Buege recalls attending a SPAM party in the '70s when he worked for Hormel's research and development department. ""People had to dress tacky, and they served grilled SPAM in barbecue sauce. There were people going back in droves.""
People may laugh at it, Buege said, but the fact that it's been around for such a long time proves its success.
SPAM was born in Austin, Minn. in the 1930s, created by Geo. A. Hormel & Co. president Jay C. Hormel. He was seeking a way to use up the leftover pork shoulder meat that was often thrown away and to develop a flavorful, inexpensive and longer-lasting alternative to fresh meat.
With the help of canning and flavor experts, he came up with canned shoulder meat and ham that had the consistency of luncheon meat but didn't require refrigeration.
SPAM was officially launched in May 1937. People didn't take to it right away-they feared that meat not stored in the fridge could cause illness. But it took off as canned foods became more popular.
It was not unusual for soldiers during World War II to eat SPAM for all three meals. In Hawaii, where the majority of the meat provisions went to the military, the local people were left with mostly SPAM.
Hawaiians developed a taste for SPAM, and even now it remains a favorite. Nearly 7 million cans of SPAM are sold every year in Hawaii.
""It's the equivalent of hamburgers,"" said Christine Kashiwabara, a UW senior from Honolulu.
The most popular dish in Hawaii is SPAM Musabi, a slice of SPAM on rice patties wrapped in nori seaweed. SPAM is also served in school cafeterias and fried like sausage for breakfast. Kashiwabara still eats SPAM here, cut up and thrown in her Ramen Noodles.
Practical, edible and indestructible-but is SPAM nutritional?
Buege says it is.
""Moderation is always good, but Spam is a fine way of getting protein. It's like eating bologna.""
Nutrition-wise, at 16 grams of fat and seven grams of protein per two-ounce serving, SPAM is comparable to bologna, salami, hot dogs and summer sausage. And it's portable.
""It's great for camping,"" Buege said. ""I prefer other, fresher meats, but I eat it occasionally when I go camping.""
SPAM Musubi
Recipe courtesy http://www.foodnetwork.com
5 cups cooked sushi rice
5 sheets nori, cut in half lengthwise
1 (12 oz.) can SPAM
6 Tbsp soy sauce
4 Tbsp mirin (rice wine)
4 Tbsp sugar
Furikake (rice seasoning), to taste
Cut SPAM into 10 slices. Fry until slightly crispy and drain on a plate lined with paper towels. In another pan, boil soy sauce, mirin and sugar over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to low. Add SPAM slices, coating them in the mixture. When mixture has thickened, remove SPAM from pan.
Lay a sheet of nori lengthwise on a clean surface. Moisten lower half of musubi maker, which can be made by removing the top and bottom of an empty SPAM can. Place musabi maker on lower third of nori and fill with rice. Press the musabi maker flat until the rice is 3/4"" high, then sprinkle rice with furikake. Top with one slice of SPAM and remove musubi maker.
Starting at the end toward you, fold nori over the SPAM and rice stack and roll, slightly dampening the end of the nori to seal it. Repeat with the other nine SPAM slices.
Pork and Fruit Stir-fry
Recipe courtesy ""SPAM: The Cookbook""
12 oz. SPAM
2 large oranges
1 Tbsp oil
1 red onion, finely sliced
3 carrots, cut into batons
2 c. snow peas
1 c. cashew nuts
shredded scallions, to garnish
boiled rice, to serve
Marinade:
8 oz. can pineapple cubes in syrup
1 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp prepared mustard
2 tsp grated orange rind
2 tsp lemon juice or vinegar
2 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp chopped chives
salt and pepper
To make the delicious marinade, drain the syrup from the pineapple and measure out five tablespoons. Pour the measured syrup into a dish and add the rest of the marinade ingredients.
Cut the SPAM into 1/2"" slices and then into strips. Place the strips in the marinade and leave for 20 minutes.
Peel the oranges and cut out the segments. Remove skin and seeds.
Heat the oil in a wok or skillet. Add the onion and cook for two minutes. Put in the snow peas and stir for one minute, then add the SPAM, the marinade, the pineapple, oranges and cashews. Heat thoroughly, then garnish with scallions and serve with rice.
