eggs and SPAM. Locals eat the dish with Orion
beer, which is only available in Okinawa.
Other destinations with a strong SPAM tradition
include Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, the
Philippines, Hawaii and Saipan. According to
Wikipedia, Hawaii holds the record for the
greatest SPAM consumption in the United
States, where select Burger King and McDonald’s
restaurants feature SPAM dishes on their menu.
Of course full details of the American infatuation
with SPAM may be found at the SPAM Museum
(sometimes referred to as the Guggen-ham or
the MOMA (Museum of Meat-Themed
Awesomeness) in Austin, Minnesota.
In the United Kingdom you can try deep-fried
SPAM fritters or SPAM sandwiches. In some
Asian countries you can indulge in SPAMburgers. Cha chaan teng is a Hong Kong dish with
SPAM, instant noodles and fried eggs. In South
Korea you can try SPAM Kimbap (a variation of
the famous dish “Bibimbap”) where SPAM is
mixed with rice and vegetables and wrapped in
seaweed). In Israel you can get Glatt Kosher
SPAM. There is in fact no shortage of SPAM
recipes available on the internet including:
Variations on SPAM Musubi using different
varieties of the product such as Teriyaki
SPAM or Bacon Honey Chile SPAM
Jalepeño SPAM quesadillas
SPAM and gravy on biscuits
SPAMaroni and Cheese
Veggie SPAM skewers (emphasis
veggies—they still use SPAM)
*
Nutty SPAM Surprise (using peanut butter)
And various SPAM desserts: everything
from SPAM Smores to SPAM Cakes and
SPAM-apple turnovers.
For those with a nose for wine, various internet
sites suggest that SPAM dishes pair well with
everything from Champagne (with the snooty
comment that “you can never go wrong with
Champagne”) to a good German Riesling, to
Beaujolais, Pinot Noir, Loire Cabernet Franc and
Valpolicella. One writer suggested “going for the
full Monty (Python) by considering a White
Zinfandel” with SPAM. ***
And then there are SPAM events to sow your
enthusiasm. The SPAM Jam in Waikiki just took
place on May 3, 2014. The 14th Annual
Spamtastic Festival will take place in Shady Cove,
Oregon on June 28, 2014. Unfortunately we
already missed the Isleton (California) Spam Fest
that took place on February 16, 2014.
Niche Travel markets come in all shapes and
sizes. Special interest travellers don’t necessarily
‘just’ travel for one interest, but like to combine
a few pleasurable options—perhaps one major
one (such as culinary) and one or more refined
interests, such as beer or markets or SPAM.
And now you are in the know the next time a
client either expresses hesitation about eating
local foods, or expresses a specific interest in a
ham-related experience. Now you can hog the
spotlight, knuckle under, relate some pig-tales,
and plan an ‘epig’ adventure that provides value.
on
One person’s travel trivia is another agent’s
commission cheque!
References:
www.spam.com ** http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spamalot#cite_note-1 *** www.wineloverspage.com/wineadvisor1/tswa051019.html
Steve Gillick is the president of www.talkingtravel.ca
and you can contact him directly at [email protected]