Friday, August 12, 2011

SPAM: Like!

As I do on many drives to work, I was listening one morning to the Stuff You Should Know podcast (from HowStuffWorks.com).  I had downloaded a handful of podcasts to listen to and was absolutely giddy when I saw an episode titled "How SPAM Works".  Giddy because I love SPAM.  No, I'm not talking about email junk crap, but the meat product with the recognizable label. 


Filipinos, too, love SPAM.  So much so that SPAM is a staple in many a Filipino household (along with Vienna sausages and corned beef).  In fact, SPAM is so popular in Filipino cuisine that it is actually part of many breakfast options in the (suffix) "-silog" family. SPAMsilog is a breakfast of fried spam slices, garlic fried rice, and a sunny side up fried egg with a garnish of sliced tomato and sometimes pineapple chunks along with chili-garlic vinegar for dipping. And yes, that's exactly how I prefer to enjoy SPAM.

But the big question that I just could not get out of my head was, WHY?  Why is it that Filipinos love SPAM and how did this romance blossom?

Ever the curious monkey, I decided to get to the bottom of this.  In the search bar, I started typing "why do filipinos like".  I have to take a moment here and just say that the plethora of "suggested" searches was hilarious.  Try it out for yourself. 

Search results for "why do filipinos like spam" didn't garner much.  There were some message boards that stipulated the same question, but no conclusive answer. 

Many answers concluded that SPAM is hugely popular in Filipino culture for one of two reasons, and I think these two make the most sense.  The first reason is that people like convenience, and SPAM works well since it is canned and needs not be refrigerated; this is most likely a result of the next reasoning which harkens back to WWII.  American service men were stationed in the area, and the shortage of fresh meat to the troops required canned or processed meat.  The local people were given it, and the rest is history as they say.  Added to that, I personally believe that Filipinos also love the saltiness of SPAM and the fact that you can fry it.  It's no coincidence that Filipinos have a higher rate of heart disease.  Just saying...

So, there you have it.  Nothing earth shattering, but interesting nonetheless.  Plus, researching SPAM is hugely fun.  The amount of products and social media devoted to SPAM is impressive.  If you want to learn a little bit more about SPAM, check out the Stuff You Should Know podcast

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