*Why spam?

Spam, in short, is emergency food.

Originally manufactured by Hormel during the Great Depression, and later distributed globally during World War II as US military rations, Spam then became a staple of the Cold War “Grandma’s Pantry” campaign to maintain domestic “readiness” for nuclear war.

Since then, Spam has become a cultural icon in Hawaii, my home state, as well as in Asia—not merely because of its kitschy reputation, but because of its prominent role in Asian, Asian American, and local Hawaii cuisine. Hawaii has the highest per capita Spam consumption in the US. But it’s not just a popular pantry item: it’s served at McDonald’s and Burger King, and just about every grocery and convenience store will sell rows of warm spam musubi, a handheld sushi variation, pictured on the cans below.