SPAM and Asian American Food

Spam is a brand of canned meat made with pork, ham, salt, water, potato starch, and preservatives. It was introduced by Hormel Food Corporation in 1937 and gained massive popularity during the height of World War II. Because traditionally cooked meats were hard to deliver to military base camps, Spam became a staple in the US military diet at the time. This led to Spam being introduced to many Pacific Islands and East Asian countries during World War II and the occupations in those regions thereafter.

The introduction of Span to the international community has led to widespread influences in many states’ and countries’ culinary identity. In Hawaii, Spam musubi (cooked Spam placed on top of white rice wrapped in nori) is a common dish, and in places like Guam and Hawaii, Spam can be found on McDonald’s menus. In the Philippines, Spam is highly regarded and is most commonly used as a meal with a fried egg and fried rice. The Japanese island of Okinawa has onigiri (rice balls) stuffed with Spam, and one of Korea’s most common dish budae jjigae (known as “army stew”) has Spam as one of the original ingredients. 

While it is obvious that Spam has influenced many culinary cultures, it is also interesting to take a look at the perceptions of Spam within the AAPI community and abroad internationally. In Britain for example, the overt ubiquity of Spam was characterized in a Monty Python sketch first aired in 1970. It depicted Spam drowning all conversations and dialogue through the story, and the contents of this sketch led to the term “spamming” in the context of emails and texts. In America, because of how common and easy it is to cook with Spam, some may have perceived the product as lower class and unsophisticated. Yet contrastingly, places like the Philippines, Spam is reputable across all social classes and often is used as a gift. 

Now, there is a resurgence of embracing Spam as part of the culture of Asian American cuisine. Some chefs seek to create dishes that elevate Spam on their menus while some make their own Spam in-house. For many, Spam is not their favorite food, but it reminds them of family and their upbringing. Chef Ravi Kapur says, “It was just a part of everyday life in a way.” Armando Litiatco, owner of a Brooklyn-based Filipino restaurant, includes Spam in some of his recipes, though he hopes that Spam is not what defines Filipino cuisines. That being said, for some people, taking their own culinary liberties in incorporating Spam is not just a result of Asian American cuisine. In many cases, it is an artifact of American culture. 

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Sources and additional materials:

• Article on Spam and Asian American Food: link 

• Specially Processed American Me, a documentary set to be released in early 2022 about Spam and its identity in Asian America: link 

• Legacy of Spam in Asian America: link 

• Dubious Gastronomy, a book written by Robert Ji-Song Ku with a section on Spam in Asian American food: link