SPAM and the Second World War?

[EmergencyIan]

My grandfather was a 5th Army veteran and told me that he ate so much SPAM during the war that he couldn't stand the sight of it after.

- Ian

 

[CharlieB]

My grandfather was a 5th Army veteran and told me that he ate so much SPAM during the war that he couldn't stand the sight of it after.

- Ian

My Dad said the same thing about Spaghetti after his time in Italy.

 

[Stearmen]

Got Milk

My Dad said he couldn't get enough milk when he got back! All they had in England was powdered milk.

 

[Shangas]

There was powdered EVERYTHING in England during the War. Powdered milk, powdered eggs and in essence, apple pie with powdered pie-crust! (Called the 'Apple Crumble', today!)

I can't imagine what it must've been like to try and eat through rationing back during the War. No wonder so many people went out to restaurants in England instead of eating at home!!

Sure, I've eaten SPAM on a few occasions. I use it to make sandwiches with...but I can't imagine eating it every single day for meat! It's salty as hell and it sure doesn't look amazingly appetising. I know I say I eat it occasionally but...I have fantastically low standards of what is 'good food'.

Probably has something to do with my mother's cooking.

 

[the hairy bloke]

I'm sorry to contradict, but the British were NOT on starvation rations during the War.

Life was difficult but it is now generally accepted that the British diet has never been so balanced, and good.

What was rationed was done so is such a way as to promote good health, and what was not on the Ration Book, primarily home grown veg (Dig for Victory) was, obviously, of good nutritional value.

I have come accross people who offer the Ration Book as the best diet for nowardays, and I'd be hard put to contradict them.

It was Edward Kennerdy Sr (JFK's dad), then ambassador to the UK who suggested that we ddidn't stand a chance, and that things were too grim. Can we please let the horrible man crawl back under the historical stone from whence he came?

 

[David Conwill]

I think you mean Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr.

-Dave

 

[MissMittens]

I'm sorry to contradict, but the British were NOT on starvation rations during the War.

Life was difficult but it is now generally accepted that the British diet has never been so balanced, and good.

What was rationed was done so is such a way as to promote good health, and what was not on the Ration Book, primarily home grown veg (Dig for Victory) was, obviously, of good nutritional value.

I have come accross people who offer the Ration Book as the best diet for nowardays, and I'd be hard put to contradict them.

It was Edward Kennerdy Sr (JFK's dad), then ambassador to the UK who suggested that we ddidn't stand a chance, and that things were too grim. Can we please let the horrible man crawl back under the historical stone from whence he came?

Poppycock, old man.

At the start of World War II (1939), the United Kingdom imported 20 million tons of foodstuffs per year (70%), including more than 50% of its meat, 70% of its cheese and sugar, nearly 80% of fruits and about 70% of cereals and fats. The population would have been somewhere between 46 million (46,038 thousand as measured in the 1931 census) and 52 million (53,225 thousand as measured in the 1951 census).[3] It was one of the principal strategies of the Axis to attack shipping bound for the United Kingdom, restricting British industry and potentially starving the nation into submission.

To deal with extreme shortages, the Ministry of Food instituted a system of rationing. Each person had to register at local shops, and was provided with a ration book that contained coupons. The shopkeeper was provided with enough food for registered customers. When purchasing goods, the purchaser had to give the shopkeeper a coupon as well as money.

Sorry, old man, but trying to blame the US for rationing in England is beyond reason. One can only assume that you were shellshocked

 

[the hairy bloke]

The US were our life-line!

Of course they were, but no thanks to Joseph (sorry, my mistake) Kennedy.

But the point is that at no point were the ordinary man, woman or child in Britain starving. Bored with their diet, and complaining, yes. But not going hungry.

Lend-Lease ended, for us, pretty much on VJ day, and thus rationing had to be tightened after the War, ironically as Marshal Aid was poring into the defeated enemies countries. There is a Don Camillo story about Marshal aid, but I cannot remember which one.

Read "We'll Eat Again" (Hamlyn 1985 ISBN 0 600 32525 5) with a forward by Margaret Paton.

But to suggest that Britain was badly fed, now that, Old Man, is Poppycock.

 

[John in Covina]

I think you mean Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr. -Dave

In the Simpsons there is a reference to this where one of the cartoon makers Bart watches had made a cartoon echoing the senior Kennedy observation the cartoon was titled: "Nazi Supermen Are Our Masters."

That was scary times indeed.

My mom when she came to the US from Denmark around 1947-48 was astonished by the size of the portions, that we seemed to have plenty of everything. Also she could not understand why the coffee was ground so coarse, they always used a fine grind.

 

[CharlieB]

To come back to the subject of SPAM, I do enjoy it fried up with some eggs for breakfast. Which leads me to wonder:
who decided that the pig was the official animal for breakfast anyway?

 

[David Conwill]

who decided that the pig was the official animal for breakfast anyway?

Someone who couldn't afford steak and eggs.

-Dave

 

[1961MJS]

To come back to the subject of SPAM, I do enjoy it fried up with some eggs for breakfast. Which leads me to wonder:
who decided that the pig was the official animal for breakfast anyway?

Hi

It was the other barnyard animals. The chickens and cows all voted for the pig, who was originally PROUD to win the election...

later

 

[Puzzicato]

To come back to the subject of SPAM, I do enjoy it fried up with some eggs for breakfast. Which leads me to wonder:
who decided that the pig was the official animal for breakfast anyway?

People with good taste!

Apparently the US also donated/offloaded individual tins of plum pudding, with little keys to open them, on Europe at the end of the war. Given that America doesn't have a great tradition of making this sort of pudding, I think I would stick to the SPAM. Which I quite like battered and deep-fried.

 

[CharlieB]

Hi

It was the other barnyard animals. The chickens and cows all voted for the pig, who was originally PROUD to win the election...

later

I guess some animals are more equal than others...

 

[Treetopflyer]

All of this talking about SPAM makes me miss being stationed in Hawaii. SPAM and rice for breakfast before heading off to the ship.
I grew up about 20 miles from where SPAM is made in Austin, MN. I had several friends that worked at Hormel and made SPAM. What ever doesn’t go into hot dogs and is left over goes into SPAM.
Dare I say, that SPAM is one of America’s greatest contributions to the world. That is just my opinion of course

 

[Chasseur]

From time to time I really like SPAM actually. I eat it like pate actually on bread with a little dijon mustard. Its quite close to a cheap French pate, Hernaff, that is culturally treated in France like how we treat SPAM in Hawaii. We all know its cheap canned meat, but its loved at some guilty level...

 

[Lincsong]

SPAM Musubi

 

[Tango Yankee]

fftopic: Continuing off-topic...

When I was stationed on Guam in the mid-90s I remember reading that the inhabitants of Guam were the highest per-capita consumers of two products: Spam and Budwieser. I must admit I'd never known there were so many varieties of Spam before I ventured into a local grocery store! :eeek:

Also on Guam, but in another use of the word Spam... someone forwarded an e-mail to everyone in the squadron, of of those things that goes around the 'net on a regualar basis. Again, this was in early '96 when many people were still relatively new to e-mail. I took the opportunity to try to do a bit of education and did a reply-all that the e-mail was "Spam" and should be deleted and not be forwarded any further. In response to that I received a very hostile answer from someone whose family had worked at the Spam factory for generations and did not appreciate my disparaging Spam in that way! :eusa_doh:My explanation of the term being generated by Monty Python's Spam skit fell on deaf ears...

Cheers,
Tom

 

[LordBest]

To come back to the subject of SPAM, I do enjoy it fried up with some eggs for breakfast. Which leads me to wonder:
who decided that the pig was the official animal for breakfast anyway?

Long historical tradition in Europe. The pig was for most of the past millennia the most common Western domesticate, being able to convert any old scraps into high quality protein. Pork was thus cheap and common, beef being considerably more expensive until agricultural improvements in 18th century Britain doubled their size in a few short years.

Getting back to spam, I think it is one of those foods you have to be raised with (or with a similar product) to appreciate. I wasn't, and I find the stuff to be utterly repulsive. It is, however, a cheap source of calories so I can quite see why it has become a staple in some areas.

 

[Treetopflyer]

To quote Homer Simpson-
Homer: Lisa honey, are you saying you're never going to eat any animal again? What about bacon?
Lisa: No
Homer: Ham?
Lisa: No
Homer: Pork chops?
Lisa: Dad those all come from the same animal
Homer: (laughing)Yeah right Lisa. A wonderful magical animal."