Questions you always wanted to ask

I lived out on Saipan and since the 1980's, I remember the Saipanese eating SPAM religiously. I have seen cases of SPAM stocked in most grocery outlets, little mom and pop stores all over Saipan, Tinian, Rota and even Guam. In fact, I have a can of SPAM I buy once in a while to make island style rice with Spam and eggs. I like to grill my SPAM like you would a burger or a slice of ham.

Here is my take on the FIXATION of SPAM on the PACIFIC ISLANDS. It's quite simple when you think of it. Keep in mind too that islands in the Pacific have not always had ELECTRICAL POWER generation or modernized infastructures as you find in the USA. Especially in the WWII days on up into the 1970's for alot of islands. Some islands are sparsley inhabited and some places don't have supplies reaching their islands on weekly or bi-weekly basis or even longer. So ISOLATION and LACK OF PROPER REFRIGERATION is KEY to SPAM on these islands. When you've grown up and all you see was SPAM cans in your thatched home, its aquired taste has kept the love for SPAM from generation to generation. So islands with power generation now and somewhat a little more modernized has not kept the love for spam from going out the window. Besides, just because there is power on these islands, POWER OUTAGES are quite common and strong typhoons will knock out power for weeks at a time, even longer.

1. It's very cheap compared to HAM

2. It's CANNED, requires no refrigeration, can have a long shelf life. The weather is tropical so canned products survive better in that enviroment.

3. Strong SUPER TYPHOONS knock out power on these islands occassionally, it can do it for weeks even months but SPAM will not spoil because its canned.

4. It taste very good, has alot of protien, easy to eat. Can cook it or eat it out of the can since it's all ready PRE-COOKED.

5. Goes great with rice, eggs, just a plain SPAM SANDWICH. TABASCO SAUCE is great on Spam.

6. It's almost like an MRE. Great shelf life, no refrigeration needed.

BUT REMEMBER THIS. MAN CAN'T LIVE ON SPAM ALONE.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Migflanker @ Aug 15 2008, 11:25 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

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2. What is Hawaii&#39;s fixation with SPAM? How much do Hawaiians love spam you may ask..... well Spam is served in McDonald&#39;s & Burger King and you can get Spam sushi at 7-11 (oh yeah) So I32red, do you have a clue...anyone?[/b]

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I don&#39;t have a clue why it is still as popular today but I think 29palms is right. And I do have to agree with him that it goes very well with eggs and rice. Any time of day for that matter. I will say in this, if we suffer a natural disaster my daily spam intake won&#39;t go down, it might even go up! We are well stocked. I was just thinking today that a spam musubi (spam over rice wrapped in nori-the same as sushi) sounded wonderful and yes you can buy them at McDonalds, 7-11 etc. I am heading to Hawaii at the end of the month so I will have to wait till then...

FRIED RICE with SPAM is common on Saipan. Instead of chicken or beef, or shrimp as the chinese restaurants do here, FRIED RICE in the islands are mixed with SPAM quite often. Don&#39;t forget. In WWII, alot of supplies got AIRDROPPED into isolated islands to win hearts and minds of the people and to patrol around for Japanese supply ships. There are many islands out in the Pacific.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Migflanker @ Aug 15 2008, 10:25 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

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Ok, on to question 2
2. What is Hawaii&#39;s fixation with SPAM? How much do Hawaiians love spam you may ask..... well Spam is served in McDonald&#39;s & Burger King and you can get Spam sushi at 7-11 (oh yeah) So I32red, do you have a clue...anyone?[/b]

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Well it sounds like Palms & i32red are on to something, so I&#39;m going with their answer---

Spam is inexpensive, has great shelf life, needs no refrigeration, etc, however I stand my ground at saying it tastes good;
no,no,no,nohttp://bestsmileys.com/nono/6.gif I am not a fan of SPAM!
I can kinda tolerate SPAM "heated", but "raw", just out the can, no-way, no-how, not even if I&#39;m starving......well maybe then, but only if I&#39;m staving. http://www.nonrev.net/forums/style_e...DIR#>/wink.gif http://www.nonrev.net/forums/style_e...IR#>/laugh.gif http://www.nonrev.net/forums/style_e...IR#>/laugh.gif

On to question 3
When Palms mentioned Chinese restaurants, I had a thought - fortune cookies - so ....
3. Do Chinese resturants in England, Spain, Australia, China, (the world) serve fortune cookies (like they do in the USA) with their meals? I&#39;m thinking fortune coiokies are a US custom, but who knows, do you? http://www.nonrev.net/forums/style_e...DIR#>/wink.gif

I have been to Chinese restaurants in various places. In CANADA, PANAMA, Puerto Rico, Beijing, Chinatown San Francisco. Naturally, I have never seen the fortune cookie in BEIJING. They just don&#39;t give you fortune cookies in most places. I am not certain that some restaurants in Beijing offer fortune cookies. Maybe depending on the place. I know most fortune cookies in the states are made in NEW YORK. But they make them in places like San Antonio Texas and California. I ate in Montreal&#39;s Chinatown some Chinese buffet, and they had the fortune cookie. Didn&#39;t see it in Puerto Rico&#39;s OLD SAN JUAN in some locally owned Chinese food joint. Didn&#39;t see it in Panama, but I did see fortune cookies in San Francisco. So I&#39;m willing to bet its mainly a U.S. thing but I also think it depends on which restaurants you go to. Here is a scene with CLINT EASTWOOD in movie "DIRTY POOL" on youtube about a fortune cookie during a robbery in Chinatown.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wv_bnDeqYQg

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (BRITSKI99 @ Aug 15 2008, 08:31 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

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These should be sparingly accompanied by Tomato and Brown sauce.[/b]

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*droools* Indeed. People don&#39;t understand that a hearty breakfast is a MUST when traveling in the UK... http://www.nonrev.net/forums/style_e...R#>/tongue.gif

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (imon32red @ Aug 15 2008, 02:55 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

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Paul, sounds wonderful, although I don&#39;t quite understand the tomato. Not that I don&#39;t like tomatoes, I just have a hard time envisioning to tomatoes on my breakfast plate, but it sounds worth a try. Next time I am in Europe I will stop by for Sunday breakfast because it sounds like one I could really go for. I don&#39;t want to try the low fat cafe version this sounds like it would only be good home cooked. As for the eggs how else would you eat them. I have tried to convince my wife for years that the only way to eat eggs is sunny side up, not overcooked.

My dad comes from Hawaii and so I grew up with rice in every meal especially with a heavy breakfast. For breakfast take a couple scoops of rice and flatten it out a little on your plate. Then take 3 or 4 eggs sunny side up with some of the runny stuff uncooked on top and place it on top. Every meal comes with meat and breakfast is no exception. Either a pile of portuguese sausage or a pile of bacon will do nicely. You can substitute the rice for fried rice as well if you have it.

My personal favorite for the "salmonella sunny side up egg" is with a waffle. Take the waffle straight out of the iron and heavily coat it with butter. Then add two sunny side up eggs on top of the waffle and soak the whole thing with maple syrup. http://www.nonrev.net/forums/style_e...#>/biggrin.gif[/b]

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..... Errrrr, The first time I visited Ft. Lauderdale in 19.... We won&#39;t go there, breakfast was presented to me with a slice of orange. If you can envision a slice of orange on a breakfast plate, or pancakes with syrup and bacon, then you must be able to envision a tomato !
Whilst still technically a fruit, it is more often that not an accompaniment to other savoury items, whereas the orange, pancake and syrup ........ Hmmmmm

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ItalGreco @ Sep 15 2008, 01:56 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

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Whilst still technically a fruit, it is more often that not an accompaniment to other savoury items, whereas the orange, pancake and syrup ........ Hmmmmm[/b]

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Alright, I&#39;ll give you the tomato is a fruit, but you still can&#39;t explain baked beans at breakfast. http://www.nonrev.net/forums/style_e...DIR#>/ohmy.gif

aw, c&#39;mon mig--beans are on breakfast plates all over Guatemala and Brasil! They may not be bak-ed but a plate the would be naked...
Easy explaining--beans get you going in the morning!

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (mrs767er @ Sep 16 2008, 12:28 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

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Easy explaining--beans get you going in the morning![/b]

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No argument there, beans do get you going http://www.nonrev.net/forums/style_e...DIR#>/wink.gif , and trust me, you never want to eat beans before working out. But come on M767, cowboys never eat beans for breakfast. http://www.nonrev.net/forums/style_e...#>/biggrin.gif