April 10, 2006

Original Spam

How is it that Spam is a viable commercial food product?

I remember my mother serving Spam to my sister and I. She sliced the meat product, topped it with brown sugar and broiled it. It usually was accompanied by a bowl of Spaghettios. With that menu, we always got to eat on TV trays in front of the television. My sister and I considered it a special occasion and we looked forward to Spam nights. Kids are easy to please.

I have never, since moving out of my parent's home at age seventeen, ever eaten Spam. Not even during the lean times when my three roommates and I lived mainly on egg sandwiches. (Yeah. Well. Things got better. Obviously.)

So who still eats that stuff? Someone must because it can be found on just about any grocery store shelf. Right next to the Vienna sausages and potted meat. There is even a festival, Spamarama, dedicated to celebrating the diversity of Spam. And someone created those interesting recipes that show up at the top of gmail's spam in-box. People actually eat the stuff voluntarily! And not just children who are just happy to watch TV while eating because it's Spam night.

Why is it that I can devour a hot dog with enthusiasm but cannot imagine enjoying Spam anymore? It's all just parts in a different form. Parts is parts, yes? Don't even get me started on scrapple. I'm a scrapple virgin and intend to stay that way. How about you?

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15 comments:

Bent Fabric said...

I've never had Spam but why does it have such a bad rep?

Scrapple I've tasted and may I just say...Blech, ewww, gross, puke!! And I still don't even know what it's made of. From the sound of things I have a feeling I don't want to know.

Anonymous said...

Whenever I go to delete all the contents of the "bulk mail" folder, all of the associated links and google ads are recipes. For Spam.

It's quite creepy, actually.

Although I have to admit? Fried Spam on Wonderbread with Mayo? A childhood staple, baby.

Gina said...

I think I may have had Spam once. My brain has apparently deleted the memory for whatever reason.

No scrapple here, I don't even know what it is.

But I do know that Hawaiians like Spam a lot.

Crystal A. Fox said...

PA is to scrapple like Philly is to cheesesteaks...it's just done. I, however, have never eaten scrapple or spam. However, there are a lot of "meat" products that I am virgin too.... *insert sarcasim*.

Love the blog!
~Crystal

Melodee said...

That is exactly how my mother served Spam. And we liked it! But no Spaghettios.

And after my dad divorced my mother and married a vegetarian, I never had Spam again. How sad.

yankeegirl said...

just had fried spam w/ the kids the other night (yuck!) I'm also a scrapple virgin. My mom was from the WV panhandle near DC and she loved something called "pan haus" very scary and scrapple like. Never had it, never will!

Anonymous said...

Hawaii is the #1 Spam consuming state (figure that one out!). I've never eaten scrapple, liver pudding (apparently popular in NC)or a favorite of my father's, Hog's Head Cheese (boiling the pig's head to get all the good, choice bits and then somehow pouring those fine bits into a gelatin-- aspic with chunks)...

chapin said...

There is a SPAM slot machine that I love to play at the local casino. It seems to payoff pretty well and I have some plans to visit with it again this weekend.

I've haven't had SPAM in years but I think my taste buds are telling me that want me to buy some next time I'm at the store.

Zoe said...

I have never had spam, but I freaking love hot dogs. Wait let me modify that statement, I love beef franks you get at the ball park.

Anonymous said...

I kid you not... Former-MIL used to make Spamwiches - ground Spam, Velveeta, Miracle Whip and a little onion mixed together, then spread on a hamburger bun, wrapped in foil and heated for a few minutes (enough to melt the "cheese"). Tasty, albeit VERY salty. (And you CAN NOT THINK about what it's made of...)

Geeky Dragon Girl said...

I like hot dogs and spam. And bologna too! We actually keep spam in the house for occasions where we need some sort of meat product. We've it diced up and thrown it in with some stir fry, wrapped it into tortillas with cheese to make taquitos, and scrambled it with eggs. It's fairly versatile. I just wonder what that outer layer of slime is.

Geeky Dragon Girl said...

What the heck is scrapple? Sounds like a weird variant of Scrabble.

mc said...

I think in the Uk it's mostly pensioners who have to live on £3 a week that eat spam. Or perhaps it's out of WW2 nostalgia. In any case, the very concept of spam makes me sad.

the determined dieter said...

Did you hear that? That's the sound of me throwing my dinner in the trash.

Inside the Philosophy Factory said...

Makes me think of the Mony Python "spam eggs and spam" skit.

There is a SPAM museum in Austin, MN. I see the billboards on I-35 and consider stopping... but never do.