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As a SPAM junkie, I'd heard the Long Pig rumor before and knew it was debunked so I just did some digging and found this Straight Dope article where the writer looked into the claim. It all stemmed from a quote in a book by Paul Theroux. From Happy Isles:

It was a theory of mine that former cannibals of Oceania now feasted on Spam because Spam came the nearest to approximating the porky taste of human flesh. ‘Long pig’ as they called a cooked human being in much of Melanesia. It was a fact that the people-eaters of the Pacific had all evolved, or perhaps degenerated, into Spam-eaters. And in the absence of Spam they settled for corned beef, which also had a corpsy flavor.

In the article, the writer ponders whether or not to try and contact Paul Theroux to find out if it was meant as a joke (the book overall had a light and humorous approach), but decided not to. In the end though, Paul reached out to him with the following:

Cecil, my man!

You were right the first time. Yes, it is a joke. In spite of my solemn declaration in The Happy Isles of Oceania, the voracious Spam consumption in the Pacific is not conclusive evidence of a cannibal past.

And I enjoyed seeing my laborious joke cleverly adumbrated in yet another of your witty, wide-ranging, and inexhaustibly erudite columns.

But also, speaking as a vegetarian, all meat-eating looks to me like the first step down the road to anthropophagy.

With good wishes, Paul Theroux

Islanders developed an attachment to SPAM because meat is fairly rare in island nations and canned SPAM was shelf stable and readily available. It was a great alternative for meat consumption outside of extremely important events or holidays where it would make sense to slaughter livestock and have meat. When you don't have the land for large numbers of grazing livestock like sheep or cattle, you primarily hunt fish and keep few if any smaller livestock that don't need as much room or resources (pigs, goats). With small numbers available, you'd only slaughter rarely and generally for celebration.

At least they aren't going the way of potato chip packages. Same size package, just more air filler.

Jeebudz, Yak! You taking a da fun outta my spam consumption! And here I was considering getting my septum pierced so that I could shove a bone through my nose just especially for eating spam!

I was all set to really like Paul Theroux solely for using the word "adumbrated" - and then he confessed to being a vegetarian and we parted ways. A shame, because he then used "anthropophagy." Sigh...

Impressed by the man's perspicacity eh? I still wonder how I was a vegetarian for 7 years of my life (been back on eating meat since I was 20). I wouldn't be commenting on SPAM or trying pretty much any international rations (never found a vegetarian international ration in the states). And all the best MREs are carnivore-only options.

I'll confess though, Paul's quote where he called SPAM corpsy reminded me of when I used to refer to non-vegetarians as corpse grinders. Ah youth...

Funny, that. I've always thought the veggie MRE options are tastier than most of the meat entrees. I suspect they put more effort into making the meatless one flavorful - and succeed.

I'm a true omnivore; I' eat and enjoy almost everything. I haven't ever eaten anything I wouldn't eat again, and that's saying something for a 69- year-old who has been through three Air Force survival schools and a war. To say I'm an adventurous eater is very much an understatement. Andrew Zimmern is more so, but not by much.

I'll admit it.

I don't recall eating spam in my entire life.

Bring on the shame.

FREMONT~~ 'tis the season.
Try it on white bread with mayo, lettuce, tomato, S&P... big, thick slices of SPAM and 'mater. Fabulous summer sammich!

Last year we had Spam-O-Rama night in my neighbor's garage. He has a larger 2 car garage with a flat screen TV, stereo system, beer fridge, bathroom, compressor, arc welder, etc. etc. and we hang out, drink beer, and fix stuff.

About 6 of us sliced and fried up, on an electric skillet, original SPAM, teriyaki SPAM, turkey SPAM, lite SPAM and hickory SPAM. All tasted better than we expected, with the hickory the winner, followed by original and turkey. All of them also tasted better fried than "raw". We skipped the "long pig" flavor variety.

elandil wrote:

Bobby wrote:The new Spam is only 2.5 ounces instead of 3.0 ounces

I'll have to keep that in mind. Retorts the only way I can buy it right now, my wife's never had spam and still won't try it...

But i'm working on her....gimme time.

Want me to mail you some spam?