There is at least one hint of a silver lining to the cost of living crisis. That’s right, Spam is back. According to Waitrose, sales are up 36% this year, as consumers turn their backs on more expensive fresh meat.
But Spam – tinned cooked pork – need not be a compromise. Thanks to American GIs, who introduced it during the second world war to the Asia-Pacific nations, the product has become a mainstay of their cuisine. During the festival of Chuseok, South Korean supermarkets brim with elaborate Spam gift sets. In 2014, Burger King in Japan introduced a Spam and cheese burger. The biggest consumers of Spam globally are the people of the tiny Pacific island of Guam; not only do they each eat on average 16 tins a year, but Spam produces a special variety just for islanders.
