In 1926, the Hormel Company created a canned meat product made mostly from pork called “spiced ham.”
It was a hit. In the 1930s, they held a contest for a new name. Someone won $100 for “Spam.” Because some meats were rationed during World War II but canned ones weren’t, Spam became very popular. However, since I lived on a small farm where we grew our own meat, I never tasted this product until the early 1950s. I liked it, but preferred “real” pork. Although I now choose “pure” unaltered foods whenever possible, I still have a fondness for Spam.
Recently, I saw Spam with bacon. I HAD to try it. On the can, it suggested a “Spam LT” instead of a BLT. We had that for dinner on potato slider rolls with mayo, Spam, lettuce and tomato. It was every bit as good as BLTs. Plus, there was no fuss.
I found it interesting that this version of Spam has less sodium than the standard, the low sodium and the light, which has less far. Patti and I noticed the Spam had no real bacon flavor. The few times I’ll treat us to this product, I’ll choose this one with less sodium, especially since we couldn’t taste a difference.
I had to try something else: as I thought, Spam makes great deviled ham. I did this on a small scale to see how it would go. I took two ¼”-thick slices that I diced into small pieces, then put into a bowl. After mashing them with a fork, I added a tablespoon of mayo, a quarter-teaspoon of horseradish, an eighth-teaspoon of garlic powder, and a little finely chopped dill pickle. After blending this well, I covered a slider with mayo and filled the roll with this mix. It worked.
Kids aren’t supposed to play with their food. But some of us adults never stop!
Enjoy!
If you have suggestions or questions for this column, please contact me directly: guthrielarason@verizon.net.
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