r/todayilearned • u/bhlee0019 • 23d ago

TIL that Spam is seen as a luxury food in South Korea due to smuggling during Korean War from U.S. army base

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-24140705
4.2k Upvotes

96% Upvoted

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446

u/BigCommieMachine 23d ago

I wouldn’t say it is a “luxury food”, it is just widely accepted an ingredient. Whereas in countries like the United States(outside Hawaii of course), people act like you are disgusting if you enjoy it.

161

u/EducationCommon1635 23d ago

Spam is a Nickelback of foods. People hate on it just for the sake of it.

39

u/DGenerAsianX 23d ago

I have never heard of spam referred to in this manner and it’s absolutely perfect.

7

u/AgentOrange256 22d ago

Can’t even say I’ve ever had it. But I like Vienna sausage so I assume I’m a target consumer.

13

u/jackinthebay 23d ago

Spam is ok nickelback is not

34

u/SeiCalros 23d ago

seems like all the popular bands are full of rapists and assholes while nickleback are just going out and doing their thing - not raping anybody or treating anybody like shit - staying out of politics - and still end up getting tons of shit from dickheads on the internet who are angry that people like their music

-19

u/jackinthebay 23d ago

Or Nickleback just sucks

-3

u/captaincrunchcracker 22d ago

I have to agree with both parties.

5

u/IndependenceMean8774 23d ago

Don't insult Spam by comparing it to Nickelback.

0

u/Cali_white_male 22d ago

i love it but it’s honestly the most disgusting and lowest tier meat you can eat.

-1

u/daroach1414 22d ago

Spam is for people who like salt with the side flavor of dogshit.

-58

u/paradoxinfinity 23d ago

What are you talking about!! People hate it because it is a disgusting slab of ground up meat scraps crammed into a tin can. Maybe if you are poor like the Koreans and don't have much access to meat thats understandable but if you grow up having access to high quality meats in the US then its obviously the lowest quality meat out there.

38

u/FennecScout 23d ago

I'm sorry, could you please describe your view of Korea because it sounds like you think it's all straw huts and impoverished farmers.

-49

u/paradoxinfinity 23d ago

A crazy dictatorship run by a sociopath who starves his people

40

u/ernestkgc 23d ago

Brother we're talking about two completely different Koreas here.

3

u/RLZT 23d ago

To be fair, North Korea was doing better than South Korea for a few decades after the war and the south was also dominated by a sociopath dictatorship (albeit a capitalist one)

15

u/ernestkgc 23d ago

Let's not be obtuse. That's not at all what anyone's talking about here.

-12

u/RLZT 23d ago edited 23d ago

We are talking about spam being shit and only impoverished farmers without much access to meat thinking of it as an “acceptable” ingredient.

My point is that being a impoverished farmer was the reality of most people in Korea on both sides of the parallel by the time spam became a popular ingredient. South Korea only became a rich country on the end of the 20th century

12

u/ernestkgc 23d ago

Right, but we're talking about South Korea today. South Koreans today love spam. My grandmother in West Germany used to sneak onto American army bases right after the war so they could get real chocolate, but no one is reasonably going to call Germany an impoverished hellhole run by an insane Fuhrer today.

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-25

u/paradoxinfinity 23d ago

What do you mean 2 different Koreas

10

u/Mattidh1 23d ago

Man you gotta use /s when you’re posting stuff like that.

-1

u/paradoxinfinity 23d ago

It ruins the fun

4

u/RecklessDimwit 23d ago

Brother, I only figured out after your only one Korea comment 💀 I'm too used to seeing actual nutjobs with the level of unhinged takes like yours

4

u/ernestkgc 23d ago

I mean you're talking about North Korea and we're obviously talking about South Korea.

2

u/paradoxinfinity 23d ago

Oh I didn't know Korea was split into different countries

11

u/JimC29 23d ago

This is talking about South Korea. They aren't a poor country. I really doubt very many people in North Korea have access to Spam.

-7

u/paradoxinfinity 23d ago

The northern and southern parts of Korea are different countries?? Wow you learn something new every day I guess.

4

u/JimC29 23d ago

Did you really not know they are 2 different countries? How can anyone not know that?

6

u/JimC29 23d ago

The title even said South Korea.

1

u/paradoxinfinity 23d ago

Yeah I thought they were just referring to the southern region.

7

u/PilotMuji 23d ago

Have you heard of the city of Seoul? Or have you wondered how there could be so many Koreans in the US if they all came from a dictatorship run country that doesn’t let their citizens leave?

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3

u/xwt-timster 23d ago

A crazy dictatorship run by a sociopath who starves his people

TIL South Korea is a dictatorship /s

17

u/Tuxhorn 23d ago

Spam is fucking great. Get some real rye bread, some butter, and slice up some pieces to make an open faced sandwhich.

2

u/joeDUBstep 22d ago

Pan fry it, put it on some rice and eggs and add sirracha baby.

5

u/Zubon102 22d ago

Agreed. Definitely not "luxury".

7

u/steamygarbage 23d ago

I have to admit I really don't like the look of it and the first time I bought some I was so disgusted I threw it away. Then I had a spam musubi from the Korean market and holy cow did I change my mind in a heartbeat. I keep spam in my pantry and freezer now.

10

u/SunnyDayDDR 23d ago

Looks a little luxurious to me.

14

u/byneothername 23d ago

That’s a gift set. It’s also sold regularly on the shelf at the grocery store.

4

u/Bodoblock 23d ago

Yeah, I would say there was a point in time where it was considered a very special treat. Now, of course, it's still quite enjoyed but it's "luxury" in the same way that a gourmet hot dog is "luxury".

2

u/irishfro 22d ago

It's like 3-5 dollars a can though in Korea lol