Comments on: In praise of spam

By: Daniel in Brookline

Daniel in Brookline — Sat, 03 Mar 2007 07:00:00 +0000

Would you believe that the Israeli Army has a kosher equivalent of Spam?

It's called "Bully-Beef" (I never tried hard to understand the etymology of it); like Spam, it's canned meat that can last for years without being refrigerated. When I wore the uniform, every pack of battle-rations had a can of Bully-Beef in it.

I remember once, during field exercises, when our cook was challenged to make something at least halfway edible out of the stuff. He won the bet with some not-too-bad simulated shish kebabs. (We complained anyway, of course.)

respectfully,
Daniel in Brookline

By: DC

DC — Sat, 03 Mar 2007 07:00:00 +0000

A travelogue writer, Theroux, wrote a book about paddling a canoe in the Pacific islands. There was a chapter on SPAM, in which he alludes that islanders in the remote areas considered SPAM a delicacy, tasting closest to "Long Pork".

I feel that SPAM was really the inspiration for "Soylent Green". But, to each his own!

By: Harry Mallory

Harry Mallory — Sat, 03 Mar 2007 07:00:00 +0000

First time had tried spam, (fried) was over twenty years ago.

I was surprised in that it wasnt as bad as I thought it would taste and didnt mind eating it. Though I certainly didnt want to have it often. You get tired of the taste pretty easily.

By: strcpy

strcpy — Sat, 03 Mar 2007 07:00:00 +0000

Chopped into small peices and put in salads is a great way to eat it. It’s got a different (IMO typically stronger) flavor than ham peices. Letteuce, cheese, spam, bacon bits, carrots and other assorted hard vegetables is great (and I think goes best with ranch dressing – it mixes with the spam taste very well). Just be carefulthat you don’t go overboard on the spam – it’s fairly strong.

I like a spam sandwich from time to time also. But usually just a little bit in a large salad

By: rickl

rickl — Sat, 03 Mar 2007 07:00:00 +0000

And apart fom all that, it inspired one of Monty Python's most memorable skits:

Spam, spam, spam, spam,
spam, spam, spam, spam,
spam, spam, spam, spam...

(Supposedly that comedy sketch in turn was the origin of the present-day term used to describe junk e-mail.)

By: Tom Grey

Tom Grey — Sat, 03 Mar 2007 07:00:00 +0000

My mother liked Spam -- I liked it fried. Also liked fried baloney.

I wasn't so big on Kraft macaroni & cheese; didn't like ketchup so much. (not even premium dijon ketchup).

America has become full of snobs; food snobs and many other types.

SPAM has long been non-PC

By: Ymarsakar

Ymarsakar — Sat, 03 Mar 2007 07:00:00 +0000

Nikita Krushchev once credited SPAM with the survival of the WWII Russian army. ''Without SPAM, we wouldn't have been able to feed our army,'' he said.

How dare you say Americans should be given credit for the 20 million that died on the Eastern Front, what nerve!

Spam is good because there's a lot of energy there. But I tend to stop after one small can, because it is way too salty, and my body doesn't like having my sodium intake increased 500%. I know, cause it tells me in my head.

By: Vanderleun

Vanderleun — Sat, 03 Mar 2007 07:00:00 +0000

The top of the Spam foodchain has to be RACK-O-SPAM.

Open both ends of the container and carefully slide the whole loaf out.

Stand on edge and "carefully" slice half inch slices almost -- but not ALL THE WAY-- through.

Next. Toothpicks.

Take rings of pinapple out of the can and open up a jar of factory fresh mareschino cherries.

Break pinapple rings into sections whose greatest width at the top of the arc is slightly less than the diameter of the SPAM slices edge to edge.

Heat cast iron frying pan over campfire far away from the maddening crowd and sear the surfaces of the spam loaf briefly.

Spit pineapple wedge and cherries in this order: cherry, wedge, cherry and carefully pry apart the Spam to insert a pinapple cherry kabob into each slice.

Return to heated frying pan on edge and sear carefully until done.

This tastes best at the end of a ten day camping trip when all the rest of your food is long gone.

By: Pancho

Pancho — Sat, 03 Mar 2007 07:00:00 +0000

I have a can o’Spam in our cupboard I’m saving for that special occasion when only a canned meat product will do.

We had a hybrid of Spam in our C rations…in army lingo termed something like, Ham, Chopped, Canned.

By: Megan

Megan — Sat, 03 Mar 2007 07:00:00 +0000

My grandfather fries up Spam when he goes hunting. And he's cooked it for the kids in the past too.

Maybe if they went back to the old name 'spiced meat' or whatever it was it would be a little more appetizing...

then again, maybe not. LOL