shades fills you in

Spam is officially popular again. CNN writes that the canned meat got past its association with economic hardship thanks to Asian American chefs embracing the 85-year-old brand

Spam was introduced in America in 1937, during the Great Depression. In WW2, Allied troops were eating it up to three times every day. And people at home were eating it as a part of wartime rations -- Cracked

It’s also an important part of island cuisine, says a Hawaiian in Food and Wine Magazine. Spam is an absolute staple for Hawaiians

One of the most popular Hawaiian Spam dishes is Spam musubi -- which is actually a kind of Japanese onigiri. Watch this TikToker make it here

The pandemic might’ve boosted Spam’s popularity, writes The St Louis Dispatch. One study found that 54% are cooking at home more than they were pre-pandemic. Spam is an easy option for overwhelmed people in the kitchen

According to The Federalist, Spam was the “perfect” lockdown staple. It’s tasty and a good source of protein! They share a recipe for Spam fried rice here

But The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writes that Spam was on the up-and-up even before COVID: The pandemic might’ve helped it, but people were growing to love Spam prior to 2020

Bloomberg reports that spam sales in the U.S. rose more than 70% during a 15-week period ending in June. It could be the looming economic downturn that’s motivating shoppers to buy cheap, comforting food

The South China Morning Post is happy Spam’s making a comeback: Many people grew up ashamed of eating Spam because it was considered a “low-class” food. Now, chefs everywhere are embracing the luncheon meat

The bad news: Healthline writes that Spam’s full of sodium, calories, and is super duper processed. It also doesn’t have that much protein compared to how much fat it’s packing

Gordon Ramsey hates the stuff. In fact, he says his hatred of Spam was one of the reasons he took up cooking professionally -- The Telegraph

But maybe you’re a die-hard Spam lover. Next time you’re in Minnesota, give the Spam Museum a visit! Check out their homepage here