Korean Spam Army Base Stew

Spam arrived in Korea during World War II and became a godsend for people in Korea and Japan who were starving in the aftermath of war. Shortly after the Korean War, when South Koreans had few refrigerators or protein-rich foods, many bartered with American troops for canned pork and salvaged leftovers from U.S. Army bases to cook into a hearty “army base stew” that mixed Spam with instant noodles, hot dogs, and American cheese. As South Korea modernized, Spam stayed in the kitchen and turned into a staple food that many Koreans began to view as a delicacy. Today, South Korea is the second-largest consumer of Spam in the world, and gift sets of the cans are still popular presents during Chuseok and Lunar New Year.

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