May 6, 2003

Aloha….SPAM?

Filed under: Uncategorized — Jim @ 9:41 pm


Hawaii. We think of a beautiful island paradise, tropical breezes, tropical drinks, wonderful Hawaiian customs, and ukulele music. We don’t think of SPAM, and yet Hawaii is the world’s SPAM capital. Hawaiians eat 6.7 million cans of the stuff per year. They love it. In fact, last month was the Hawaii “SPAM Jam,” with SPAM cook offs by famous Hawaiian chefs. They wrap it in seaweed and they eat it on sandwiches with eggs and mayonnaise. One can even buy a cookbook full of Hawaiian SPAM recipes. Hell, there are so many recipes they needed a second book.

I first learned of this from an old friend who has lived on Maui for more than thirty years. I thought he was joking, until he rattled off about a half dozen of his favorite SPAM recipes. I still don’t get it.

Some speculate that SPAM, which was “invented” in 1937, became popular in Hawaii during World War II as a result of its wide availability to servicemen stationed in the Islands. Who knows?

After listening to my friend talk about it several months ago, I bought a can of the stuff, determined to slice it thin, fry it and eat it with eggs, as he suggested. However, it is still sitting in the kitchen cabinet. Every time I think about trying it, I lose my nerve.

Besides, if you’re from Jersey, there is nothing – repeat – NOTHING like Taylor Ham (a/k/a Taylor Pork Roll), a Garden State staple. People in Jersey like Taylor Ham so much that some enterprising person has set up a website where people from Jersey who move away can buy Taylor Ham online. Great with Eggs, it also makes a terrific sandwich on a hard roll (called a “Kaiser Roll” by dweebs not from here), on rye or on a bagel with cheese.

SPAM? Nah. Make mine Taylor Ham.

4 Comments »

  1. My wife being from Hawaii claims that more than 80% of the spam consumed in the world is consumed in Hawaii. I disaree based on the sheer volume of people in Hawaii as compared to the rest of the world. Can anyone settle this Spam debate?

    Thanks,

    Bob

    Comment by Bob — March 28, 2004 @ 1:31 am

  2. try jerseyporkroll.com. it’s cheaper then any other place and i looked at tons of them. i just foun it last week and i got my order in 2 days from when i paid. not bad. out here in AZ they think you eat it raw. gagamagga, make mine taylor ham and cook it first!

    Comment by Jenn — March 19, 2005 @ 8:56 pm

  3. As a former Californian who has been stuck in Jersey for a decade and a half, I must state that Taylor Pork Roll is one of the absolutely foulest forms of reconstituted “meat” on this planet — and I’ve been around. The USDA “Potted Meat Product” that used to be distributed to welfare victims in states that didn’t have food stamps wasn’t half as bad. At least SPAM(tm) doesn’t cause me to wonder whether I’m about to puke or if I just did.

    Comment by Ward Griffiths — January 9, 2007 @ 6:53 pm

  4. Yo, Ward,

    No problem, Bro. You’re from California, so we understand. Eventually you’ll get over it. 🙂

    Jimbo

    Comment by Jim — January 9, 2007 @ 7:29 pm

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