Spam about SPAM
It was such a part of my childhood memories, I couldn't resist to post. Thanks for rekindling the not-so-fond memories, Bridge, man.
If there is one food-esque item for which Americans should be ashamed, because it still exists...
Coming along in 1937 (during The Great Depression), it was, indeed, a boon to WWII soldiers and the deprivation of Europe that followed it. Those who could "afford" to never see it again did so, my WWII vet Dad among them.
Here are it's basic ingredients (it now comes in 14 "flavors"):
Pork w/ ham (Pork can mean ANY part of the pig...ANY...snouts, organs, etc.)
Salt
Water
Potato Starch
Sugar
Sodium Nitrite
Mmmm! Mmm!
In the U.S., in the 50's and 60's, poor school kids made fun of the poorer school kids for having it. By noon, your "sangwich" smelled up the entire coat closet. My household was probably about $1k per-year "above" "needing" it, only because we had relative boarder$ in our home.
For adults, it was the lunch faux pas equivalent to today's co-worker's microwaved fish. Back when food-shaming didn't exist as a concept, SPAM was exhibit A.
It lives on, because of it's immense 3rd-world sales. In Guam, each person consumes 16 cans annually. In SE Asia, it is given as a luxury gift. Hope that custom STAYS there!
If you ever have reason to visit MN, USA, you can visit Hormel's dedicated SPAM museum. You won't even need GPS, just open your car windows.
A rant on SPAM = a new low. Whoa.
