In the United States, Spam may be an underappreciated meal or an unsolicited e-mail, but in South Korea the canned lunch meat is a luxury item.
The Los Angeles Times reports that the country, far smaller than the United States, is second only to Spam's homeland as a market for the product. It is so highly valued that 40 percent of Spam purchases are for gifts, often elegantly packaged in sets of 12.
The taste for Spam apparently dates to the era when U.S. soldiers, who did not like Spam, would give it away to South Koreans, who were glad at the time to get meat in any form. Now, when South Korea has the world's 11th-biggest economy, the taste remains.
South Koreans generally eat Spam fried with rice or in stews, often with the national dish, kim chi, or pickled cabbage.
© Copyright 2005 by United Press International
