Over sixty years ago, when meat was bought from a butcher, Jay Hormel's idea for pork in a can was nothing short of revolutionary. How in the world (and why in the world) did he do it? In nine highly engaging and entertaining chapters, complete with over 200 illustrations and photos, author and Spam-fan Carolyn Wyman traces the unbelievable success story of this one-of-a-kind, all-American, all-pork product, including: Spam's place in history, its role during World War II, and how Spam saved the Russian army from starvation, the making (yes, the ingredients) and the selling of Spam, from 1937 to today, spamming the Globe: From Zimbabwe to Anguilla, stories of Spam overseas, the infamous Monty Python skit and Spam's other starring roles and cameos in television, movies, cartoons, and music, delectable recipes like Spam Fritters, Spamtastic Mincemeat Truffles, and the award-winning Spam Cheesecake, Cyber Spam: The best of Spam on the Internet, including poetry from the Spam Haiku Archive. A fascinating portrait of an icon in a can, Spam: A Biography will delight everyone from the culinarily curious and connoisseurs of kitsch to netheads and veterans-and of course, Spam's true fans: the millions of people who eat America's "Miracle Meat" for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. SPAM-tistics: (1)Spam is sold in over 45 countries around the world. (2)Over 100 million cans are consumed by 60 million Americans each year, averaging 2.8 cans per second (3)The Spam can is part of the Smithsonian Institution's permanent collection (4)Over 5 billion cans of Spam have been sold since 1937. (5)Hawaiians are the highest per capita Spam eaters-averaging 4 cans/year per person-followed closely by Alaska, Arkansas, Texas, and Alabama (6)Hormel-sponsored Best of Spam Recipe competitions are held each year at more than 75 state and regional fairs (7)Over 20,000 people attend the Spam Jam in Spamtown, USA, aka Austin, Minnesota, Hormel's headquarters.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com Review
The Cadillac of canned meat food products finally gets its due with Spam: A Biography. The book traces the meat's story from its distant Hormel ancestry through its history-changing 1937 birth, right up to the present day. Along the way we discover that its ingredients are not nearly so revolting as one might have been lead to think (merely pork shoulder, ham, salt, sugar, and delicious sodium nitrite) and that Spam received its pithy name from actor and friend of the Hormel family, Kenneth Daigneau. But this is no rosy-hued love letter to luncheon meats. Wyman tackles the tough issues of Hormel's labor problems during the 1980s and the visceral hatred many World War II GIs developed for Spam after finding it in meals for days on end. (Wyman also notes alternative wartime Spam uses, including skin conditioner, gun lubricant, and thickly-sliced playing cards.) In an invaluable service, readers are reassured as to the benign nature of the disturbing gelatin that surrounds Spam, and taught how to tell which batch they're eating by deciphering the markings on their cans. The author also tracks the history of Spam advertising and descends into the terrifying maelstrom of obsessive Spam fans. Of course, no book on Spam would be complete without recipes, and Wyman includes some truly chilling examples, including "SPAMtastic Mincemeat Truffles," "Fruit Cocktail-SPAM Buffet Party Loaf," and the absolutely ungodly "Lobster Thermidor aux Crevettes with a Mornay Sauce Garnished with Truffle Pâté, Brandy, and a Fried Egg on Top and Spam." --Ali Davis
From Booklist
A main-meal casserole accompanied by baked beans, pineapple, and brown sugar. A foodstuff popularized by military legends. Every conceivable topic related to this spiced ham product is explored: its origins in Austin, Minnesota; history and wartime stories; advertising and promotions; manufacturing; and Spam spoofs and features in the media. Certainly, newspaper food columnist Wyman has done her homework. A hodgepodge of illustrations cries 1940s and 1950s design style, and a mixture of innumerable facts and creative fiction amuses, entertains, and impresses. Could anyone resist the following ditty: "But marital bliss is sure to cease/If I ever ask for ham/And find my eggs are looking up/From a goldarned slice of Spam." More than you ever dreamed--or could consume. Barbara Jacobs
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Carolyn Wyman Serves Up Sentiment, Porklore-- And More,
This review is from: SPAM: A Biography: The Amazing True Story of America's "Miracle Meat!" (Paperback)
In this marvelously apropos sequel to "I'm A Spam Fan"-- her wonderfully readable round-up of household brand names-- Carolyn Wyman cooks up a campy collation of fun facts and festive factoids that delightfully delineates the enduring mystique of America's favorite mystery meat. We Love It!
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Spam-tastic addition to a food library!,
By A Customer
This review is from: SPAM: A Biography: The Amazing True Story of America's "Miracle Meat!" (Paperback)
SPAM luncheon meat has been good "eats" for over 60 years and this book nicely reviews its place in our culinary history. For a book full of both old and new ways to fix SPAM, a fan will also need Linda Egger's SPAM, The Cookbook.
9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Not (quite) as silly as you'd think.,
By A Customer
This review is from: SPAM: A Biography: The Amazing True Story of America's "Miracle Meat!" (Paperback)
Hidden beneath the barrage of silly spamaphenelia lies a story about the development of one of the most well known brands in America, and the world. This book offers interesting insight into one of the longest continually sold products in America.
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