Spam - Carving Out A Niche for Canned Meat

An interesting read in FoodDive on Spam, a cured canned meat product developed 80 years ago.  At that time, it was claimed to be a miracle meat, and was a protein source for many during the Great Depression.  Over the past half century, it has been endlessly mocked, and used as a moniker for junk email.

But Spam has hung around and is finding a resurgence.   "Spam's sales have been helped by the growth of the Asian American population in the U.S. — they are more likely to consume the product than any other nationality.  Even some McDonald's in Hawaii and high-end restaurants in New York City and Los Angeles incorporate Spam into their dishes."

So could we see Spam-tizers on the menu next to the charcuterie plate?

https://www.fooddive.com/news/spamalot-consumers-cant-get-enough-of-the-mercilessly-mocked-meat/525327/
Spamalot: Consumers can't get enough of the mercilessly mocked meat 



Author
Christopher Doering
@cdoering
Published
Sept. 5, 2018

When Sophie Ann Terrisse sat down for lunch with colleagues at a conference last January in Hawaii, the discussion quickly gravitated toward a mysterious item on the menu that left many of the 20-somethings at her table perplexed.

"It was delicious and everybody was like, 'What is this?' " Terrisse, a senior adviser with brand management firm 26FIVE, told Food Dive. They found out it "was Spam, and they were like, 'I want more.' "

Spam, the brunt of ridicule by British comedy troupe Monty Python with a name that was crudely tied to unwanted inbox-cluttering email, has managed to stand the test of time — and even thrive — amid a rapid consumer shift away from heavily processed foods in favor of fresher, better-for-you fare.

A concoction of pork with ham, salt, water, potato starch, sugar and sodium nitrate, Spam has shed its staid image by innovating to remain relevant while taking advantage of its popularity with people in South Korea and Asia, and increasingly among Hispanics residing in southern parts of Texas and California.

Rest of article - https://www.fooddive.com/news/spamalot-consumers-cant-get-enough-of-the-mercilessly-mocked-meat/525327/











A concoction of pork with ham, salt, water, potato starch, sugar and sodium nitrate, Spam has shed its staid image by innovating to remain relevant while taking advantage of its popularity with people in South Korea and Asia, and increasingly among Hispanics residing in southern parts of Texas and California.