In this time of safe-at-home Zoom meetings and obsessively checking email (at least if you’re working from home), “spam” is the stuff that you immediately delete from your inbox. Somewhat ironically, this unprecedented situation has brought more popularity to the other spam: the Spam you might have sitting in your pantry.
While the coronavirus outbreak has been heartbreakingly tough for many businesses—movie theaters, restaurants, etc.—it’s had the opposite effect on good ol’ Spam. The canned meat is showing up on a huge number of grocery lists.
Spam’s on the Rise
Spam was already having a decent year before the pandemic…and the year before that, and the year before that. In fact, 2020 has been the brand’s sixth consecutive year of record-setting sales, according to Hormel’s CEO. With people stocking their pantries with stuff that has a long shelf life, it’s no surprise folks are adding Spam to their carts.
And there’s plenty to like about Spam besides its far-away expiration date. For those who haven’t tried it, there are only six ingredients in that iconic blue can: pork with ham, salt, water, potato starch, sugar and sodium nitrite. Some say it tastes like chicken. It’s versatile, and it can be used in a variety of dishes. It’s so popular in Hawaii that it’s offered as a breakfast item at McDonald’s!
What Can I Make with Spam?
You can create plenty of meals, beyond cold Spam sandwiches, with this tinned meat. It’s a shoo-in at breakfast: try skillet hash or bacon-wrapped Spam bites. Or substitute Spam in any of these recipes for leftover ham.
The possibilities are truly endless. And hey, with recipes like these, maybe by the time quarantine’s over, we’ll all smile when we think of “spam.”
Next up: These food brands are way older than you thought.
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Emily Hannemann