SPAM and the Recession

Hormel, the maker of SPAM, is having trouble keeping up with the exploding demand for this Rodney Dangerfield of food. While a lot of folks may chuckle at this I’m concerned that it may mean the economy really is in for some tough times.

SPAM was born in 1936 during the Great Depression and became very popular due to it’s low price and acceptance as a worthy substitute for meat. In 1937 Kenneth Daigneau entered a contest to name this new meat-like product and won $100 for submitting the name spam. Since those modest beginnings SPAM has been the brunt of thousands of jokes, kicked around like an empty can of cat food, and basically ignored by many as a viable food.

Well SPAM is making a comeback, a big comeback. Hormel can’t produce enough SPAM to keep up with current demand. Since July of this year Hormel has been running 2 shifts 7 days a week and factory workers have been getting as much overtime as they wish. Consumers are eating this gelatinous spiced ham and pork product like there’s no tomorrow. Marketed as “Crazy Taste” a 12 ounce rectangular can sells for about $2 and with the economy teetering and fear at unprecedented levels SPAM is hotter then ever.

Other food trends that may be a leading economic indicator include a rapid increase in demand for pancake mixes, instant potatoes, fruit and veggie preservatives, rice, beans, macaroni and cheese, Jell-O, Kool-Aid, and of course beer.

It’s not clear if the beer is to help the SPAM go down or to numb the senses, but these trends may indicate that we’re headed into a period of time where “gourmet” is takes a back seat to “frugal”.

As a former resident of Hawaii I’ve had SPAM and frankly I enjoyed it. Of course I also loved my bologna sandwiches growing up as well, not to mention the mayonnaise and ketchup “sandwich” that I ate when the lunch meat was gone. Bottom line is when people are hungry and short on cash they’ll get by with less expensive food that seems to get the job done.

For more information in SPAM check out these sites:

SPAM – SPAM.com is a really interesting site and worth a visit. Almost feels SPAM cultish-like.

Monty Python – SPAM – YouTube video of an old Monte Python skit about SPAM. 3:23 minutes.

SPAM Recipes – Some real tasty looking dishes from Hormel’s SPAM recipe section!

SPAM Gift Items – Some truly interesting gift ideas!