A Spam-tastic festival in Hawaii

Made of pork shoulder, ham, salt and water, all compressed in a can, the processed meat product became popular during World War II. Since it required no refrigeration, Spam was served as a regular meal to US soldiers serving on the Pacific front and they returned home with a taste for “spiced ham” (where the name derives). Hormel Foods Inc then began selling the product in US supermarkets starting in 1937, and while Spam has fallen out of favour in most of the continental US, the meat remains incredibly popular in Hawaii. The island state consumes more than seven million cans annually, about five cans per resident per year.

The processed pork even has its own annual festival. Hosted on Oahu, the Waikiki Spam Jam, this year held 27 April, welcomes more than 25,000 people to sample restaurant dishes featuring the canned meat.  Entrees range from straightforward Spam burgers to international variations such as Spam Thai meatballs and Spam street tacos. Other entrees include Spam nachos, Spam pizza and Spam lo mein.

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