Spam has quite a huge following in Hawaii, who is the biggest consumer of the product, where it makes a showing in, among other applications, a fried rice and seaweed pocket called Spam Musubi. The Spam website notes, “Hawaii eats seven million cans of Spam products every year.”
South Korea is the second largest consumer of Spam and it’s often used as an ingredient in a sushi roll known as kimbap.
Did you know there are many varieties of Spam available? In addition to the original flavor, the following flavor options exist: Spam Lite, Spam Bacon, Spam Turkey, Spam Teriyaki, Spam Cheese, Spam Garlic, Spam Black Pepper, Spam Hickory Smoke, and Spam Portuguese Sausage!
A museum dedicated to all things Spam is located in Austin, Minnesota, the birthplace of the Spam brand. According to the website, the museum “pays tribute to its presence across the world.” Additional Spam bragging rights: Spam product packaging was donated to the Smithsonian in 1998.
If you haven’t been bold enough to give Spam a try, the product’s website explains the taste as: “In a word: magic.” They note, “Of course, we’re biased, and if you haven’t had the good fortune of tasting magic before, that won’t tell you much. Speaking objectively, they taste kinda like ham. They also taste a little like pork roast.” Spam can be grilled, baked, or fried, resulting in different tastes and textures.
The website also explains the process of making Spam, which involves adding ingredients to pre-ground pork and ham, before the mixture is canned, vacuum sealed, and then cooked and cooled for three hours. Labels are applied and the cans are placed in cases and distributed.