Hormel Spam (meat in a can) Review

I could not believe that some of my college students had never tried Spam meat in a can. Really, I thought everyone had Spam sandwiches growing up. I would guess that it's a southern thing (and it is), but I've read that Hawaiians eat more Spam than any other state. Go Hawaii!

Spam was developed during the War for the military. Hormel took ham and pork (spare parts - yep - like hot dogs) and ground them up and canned them. They add some sugar and salt . . . a little water. The meat is formed into a loaf. It's jammed in a can. Walaa . . . Spam in a can.

My mountain relatives can meat, so meat in a can (a jar for home canned) is nothing new. I suppose it's a bit novel in some areas, though Spam is now celebrating its 70th year. Happy Birthday Spam!

I don't buy Spam very often, but my boys do like it. The southern way to cook it is to slice it and then fry it in a frying pan. Then, serve it on white bread with yellow mustard. The key to really good Spam sandwiches is to fry it somewhat crisp. Actually I like mine almost burned. In a big family, there were advantages to liking things overcooked. I ate a lot of over-dark toast, meat, and so on. I still eat the stuff that gets cooked more than others like it.

Spam can also be cooked on a grill and served on a bun. It is poor man's hamburger.

The best thing about Spam is getting it out of the can. You pop the top and then shake and shake. Then, you get a knife and poke a hole in the bottom of the can to allow some air flow. It pops right out with a little WHOSH. In a small town, that's a big time.