Is SPAM the New Ham? Ask President Obama!

by Susan Davis on 17/04/09 at 8:20 am

A newspaper headline caught my eye yesterday.  It was how the proliferation of spam was wasting energy and polluting the environment.  I wondered if they were referring to the infamous canned pork product, because after all, industrial meat production has been linked to environmental damage and the increased release of greenhouse gases.  I realized, however, that the spam they were reporting on was the kind that comes in your e-mail box, not the food product that comes in the square can.  That led me to speculate about how the original “Spam” was doing.  After all, Spam was the luncheon meat of choice during the 1940s and 1950s, although over the years it had been the butt of jokes (think Monty Python), referred to as “mystery meat” and worse.

Rest assured, SPAM® is alive and well and enjoying increased popularity, which is good news for the Hormel Corporation, which distributes 11 different varieties of Spam products, ranging from the original recipe version, to “Spam and Cheese” and “Spam Singles.”  There is a Spam product for everyone, including “Spam lite,” for those concerned about their figures.  In fact, Hormel says sales of Spam have increased by double digits over the past six months, to the point where employees are working overtime to keep up with the demand.

Thank you, Uncle Sam, for this great recession.

Because of these lean economic times, Spam is thriving.  While other food products and services are seeing a decline in sales, Spam is one that is growing by leaps and bounds, showing healthy profits and an unprecedented comeback in popularity.  Just ask Spam’s public relations guru and Hormel spokesperson, Chris George.  “I think people are excited about not only the cost of Spam, but also the many things you can do with it,” George said.  “It’s incredibly versatile; you can add it to a million different dishes.”

It appears that Spam is the new ham.  It’s simply “ham that has taken on a new form,” says Dan Armstrong, co-author of The Book of SPAM, which takes a whimsical look at this legendary staple that dates back to 1937.

This past Easter, many families opted for brown sugar and pineapple-glazed Spam for their holiday meal, instead of a traditional ham.  “Each person receives their own individual portion,” commented Mary Breidliner, a long-time lover of Spam and Spam supporter.

In Chicago, the Aloha Eats Hawaiian Grill is a popular eatery that proudly serves Spam specialties on its Asian-inspired menu.  Ivan Lee, whose family owns this Lincoln Park hangout, says he’s not surprised that Spam is making a comeback, since it’s been a dietary staple and the center of delicacies in Hawaii since World War II.  “Part of the reason why is because it ships well from the mainland to Hawaii,” Lee said. “It’s a canned meat, it’s already cooked.”

Hawaiians eat more Spam per capita than any other state in the U.S.  One explanation is because Spam is used in one of Hawaii’s most popular native dishes – Musubi, which is Hawaii’s take on sushi, only featuring fresh Spam instead of seafood. In fact, when President Barack Obama took his pre-inauguration trip to his birthplace in December 2008, he was spotted on the islands chowing down on this native specialty.

The Aloha Eats Hawaiian Grill features Musubi on its menu, along with other Spam specialties, including Spam Loco Moco (three slices of grilled Spam, two eggs and brown gravy); Spam mini plates (Spam with rice); and Spam noodle soup.

“It’s still very affordable,” Lee said. “The thing about Spam is you don’t need a whole lot to make it go a long way.”

Another reason Spam has gained popularity is because of the post 9/11 pleas to “be prepared.”  Spam has a long shelf life.  You can buy it and keep it for emergencies – or forever, whichever comes first.  It never goes bad.

So even though tough economic  times have brought Spam back into the limelight, it appears that people actually like it once they taste it.  Many consumers did not know they were eating a canned meat product when offered samples.  This may be another reason why this legendary kitchen staple has been so explosively successful in recent months.  It tastes good.

And just for the record, Hormel says Spam is ham, pork, sugar, salt, water and a little potato starch, so it is no longer a “mystery meat.”  It appears that America is celebrating the ultimate recession food.

Make your own SPAM Musubi (Makes 40 bite-sized pieces)

Ingredients:

1 can (12 ounces) Spam
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 cup each: mirin, sugar
5 sheets nori (seaweed), cut in half lengthwise
5 cups cooked sushi rice, room temperature
Furikake (dried Japanese condiment), optional

Directions:

Cut the Spam into 10 slices; fry in large skillet over medium-high heat until slightly crisp. Drain on paper towels.

Combine the soy sauce, mirin and sugar in a large saucepan; heat to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low; add the Spam, turning to coat. Cook over medium heat until mixture has thickened, about 5 minutes; remove pan from heat.

Place a sheet of nori lengthwise on a clean surface. Moisten lower half of musubi maker or Spam can and place on lower third of nori. Fill the musubi maker with 1/2 cup of the rice (if using the Spam can, fill only halfway); press rice until 3/4-inch high. Sprinkle rice with optional furikake. Top with 1 slice of Spam. Remove musubi maker; keep in a bowl of warm water to keep it clean and moist.

Fold nori end closest to you over Spam and rice stack; roll until completely wrapped in the nori. Slightly dampen the end of the nori to seal it. Repeat with remaining Spam slices. Cut each musubi in half diagonally; cut each piece in half diagonally again to make four pieces.