Spam hits record

[At home in NZ]

Personally I cannot stand the stuff, it's too much like the 'ham' we were dished up at school dinners. I didn't go to a school where the local council did the catering, it was done in the school canteen.
One day a week we would have this 'ham' that looked as though there were colours running through it, it sort of shone. with it there was mashed potatoes and canned peas. I loathed all of it and invariably left it for one of the kind dinner ladies to take away behind the monitoring teacher's back.

I always think of Spam as the poor man's ham and the article in Peter's link in today's newsletter makes me wonder if the high sales are a reflection on high numbers of low income?

 

[Heather]

We like Spam and alway take a tin away with us on camping holidays, at home we keep a tin in the fridge and have it for lunch sometimes, sliced , fried with an egg, on a sandwich, Yum !! We use a slice of Spam, cut into small pieces on top of home made pizzas.

 

[Margery]

dished up at school dinners

School dinners were never served here, BUT we did have an Oslo canteen, manned by mothers. The memories still haunt me - always dry brown bread, fillings such as grated carrot, cheese, peanut butter or mashed dates. A "salad" sandwich consisted of a slice of tomato, lettuce and a slice of cheese, for this delicacy you paid more. Orders were handed in to the class monitor each morning and your lunch was delivered to your class room. You had no choice of filling (except for the aforementioned "salad") and there was much swapping of sandwiches. A piece of fruit, usually an apple was also supplied.

 

[Bob Spiers]

We like Spam and alway take a tin away with us on camping holidays, at home we keep a tin in the fridge and have it for lunch sometimes, sliced , fried with an egg, on a sandwich, Yum !! We use a slice of Spam, cut into small pieces on top of home made pizzas.

In a recent exchange on Skype, speaking with my Australian sister (also in Victoria), we reminisced about eating Spam as a kid. We both agreed we hadn't attempted to buy it or eat it since. Then she reminded that her son-in-law (in Oz of course) adored it, and was one of his favourite foods, especially fried and eaten with an egg. So no war time reasons as he is in his 50's and born in the 60's to Greek parents.

She (my sister) reminds her daughter often remarks on her husband's love of Spam - which she does not share - but admits her two (grown up) sons take after their father, and the daughter after her.

During the conversation I was reminded that I used to like Spam and, although the reasons for having it served came from war-time necessity, perhaps -just perhaps - it was time to try it again. (My wife hearing me say this commented - "You will be eating it alone").

 

[Bob Spiers]

BUT we did have an Oslo canteen, manned by mothers

What is or was an Oslo canteen? Sounds very vegetarian orientated and 'dry' bread. Ugh!

 

[Margery]

What is or was an Oslo canteen

From memory they were promoting "healthy" eating and originated in Norway. They were popular in schools in the late 1940s'. I didn't think of the food as vegetarian, but to think back there were certainly no meat sandwiches. In those days we were compliant children and ate what we were given, even if we didn't like it!

 

[Margery]

I have done a Google search and have found that the Oslo lunch was promoted by Prof. Schiotz in 1932 to improve the weight of undernourished children. Apparently it was introduced in Melbourne in 1941. It was claimed that children gained 7lbs in 3 months by following the diet. A bit different these days where childhood obesity seems to be the problem!

 

[Bob Spiers]

Oslo lunch was promoted by Prof. Schiotz in 1932 to improve the weight of undernourished children. Apparently it was introduced in Melbourne in 1941. It was claimed that children gained 7lbs in 3 months by following the diet. A bit different these days where childhood obesity seems to be the problem!

That diet seems a contradiction in terms, to 'improve the weight of undernourished children' (ie to put on weight) and then promote undoubtedly healthy, but certainly NOT 'comfort' food in any sense, That would have afforded the quickest solution to achieve weight gain. In short, such a diet would be understandable if used to 'reduce the weight of overweight/obese children' .

This leads me to suspect they were dealing with children who because of parental poverty or hardship, were underfed and grossly undernourished. In which case food of almost any kind would cause them to gain weight.

 

[peter]

This leads me to suspect they were dealing with children who because of parental poverty or hardship, were underfed and grossly undernourished. In which case food of almost any kind would cause them to gain weight.

I would imagine that the over-riding aim was to improve the health of the children by overcoming deficiencies in their diet. Weight gain would have been a measure of success, but that doesn't mean it was the only objective.

 

[Bob Spiers]

I would imagine that the over-riding aim was to improve the health of the children by overcoming deficiencies in their diet. Weight gain would have been a measure of success, but that doesn't mean it was the only objective.

Yes that make sense, but even so the diet far too austere and about on par with the teaching regimes of Catholic schools run by Nuns. Both may achieve the given end of those who advocate such methods, but memories linger long in those subjected to such regimes as we all know, and as now Margery attests with the Oslo diet.

 

[Margery]

Margery attests with the Oslo diet.

Fortunately, my mother usually packed my lunches. In hindsight, there would have been undernourished children at the school and the Oslo canteen would have been seen by the teaching staff/parents as a way of overcoming the problem. Someone did a great marketing campaign on them! Remember, in those days brown bread was always dry and most unappealing.

 

[Bob Spiers]

Remember, in those days brown bread was always dry and most unappealing.

I can only remember my maternal Grandma buying a small brown loaf for herself and a standard white loaf for Granddad. But everyone else seemed only to have a White Bread of one shape or another and it was cut into slices using a bread knife.

Dry bread was strictly reserved for mopping up gravy or a runny egg at all other times it had to have a spread; ideally butter of course. Bread and butter is a marriage made in heaven even though in my war time and post war upbringing that was reserved for Sunday tea (and known always as 'Best Butter'). In the week we had 'Stork' margarine which I thought bland and preferred home made 'Beef Dripping' and groaned when told it was 'all gone'. I was constantly reminded to be thankful we had bread on the table, because many families do not (although who these unfortunate families were was never specified). It would always end with Mom's lecture on 'rationing' - making ends meet - not being made of money and to be grateful we had a father in work, whilst serving in the Home Guard, and being the family provider.

But to return to a piece of bread spread with Stork margarine. As far as I was concerned it was only really edible if served with a generous helping of Jam. We were lucky to live next door to a lady (the same one who used to tempt me with her Pearl Barley stew about which I posted recently) who loved making Jam and as my sisters and I helped out picking blackberries and assorted other wild fruits (and red currants from her garden) this resulted in a seemingly endless supply of Jam. I loved it so much I became known as the 'Bread and Jam' boy by my paternal Grandmother who, after doing odd jobs for her -like bringing coal up from the cellar - would reward with a generous helping of bread, margarine (or butter if my father was not to hand) and Jam.

Still a lovely memory from my youth and a long way from the Oslo 'dry bread' diet.

 

[peter]

In my youth there was a world of difference between fresh bread and day-old bread, but my mother usually insisted we eat the older bread first - which I found incredibly frustrating, because it often meant that by the time we got to eat the 'fresh' bread it was now stale. When my mother finally accepted that a loaf was too stale for normal use she made bread pudding, or bread & butter pudding, both firm favourites of mine because they were moist and fruity (and they still would be if I didn't know how many calories there are in them!).

Sliced bread was available, but I don't remember us ever buying it.

 

[Katie Bee]

the 'Bread and Jam' boy

That reminds me of the times that my cousin and I were taken by our grandma to her friend who we called Auntie Florrie. She lived in a nearby village and we went on the bus and Auntie Florrie always served brown bread, butter and jam and plenty of cups of tea.
My cousin and I used to have a race to see how many slices of bread and cups of tea we could eat and drink!
Looking back I am not sure if Auntie Florrie loved or hated our visits.
We certainly enjoyed them, but ate her out of house and home - well, certainly out of bread, jam and tea.
Happy memories of a carefree time.

 

[Bob Spiers]

she made bread pudding, or bread & butter pudding,

I loved Bread pudding (and still do although not of my own making, but a local artisan supplier sells quite generous slices of same) but never took to Bread and Butter Pudding which both sisters favoured. Being out numbered 2 to 1 as well as being Mom's favourite it took a couple of weeks before my Bread Pudding came round again. (Not sure if the butter in B&P Puddings was butter or margarine but tend to think it was likely margarine).

It did not help that Mom often remarked ..."you can't have stale bread with Bobby around", so she often begged stale bread left overs from neighbours, or when visiting family just to have a ready supply for pudding making.

 

[Bob Spiers]

Mentioning this topic to my wife - some 8 years my junior - so a post-war 'baby boomer' - she remarked that her mother only ever bought butter, and all she remembers having as a child. In fact she cannot even recall the taste of Margarine, which I find remarkable. The reason really stems from the fact that both her parents worked - her mother in the famous Northampton Boot & Shoe industry (and many in her family), so this extra income obviously allowed her mother to afford to buy butter. (Alright for some).

 

[peter]

We had butter sometimes, but it was mostly margarine, and not Stork - it was Tomor, which was cheaper. These days we have Flora Light because it's cheap (I only ever buy it on special offer) and relatively healthy.

Anyone who thinks they don't like bread & butter pudding has surely never had orange bread & butter pudding, which is phenomenal! When I can I make orange bread & butter pudding using currant bread or, for a real treat, Warburtons fruit loaf with orange.

it's worth mentioning that what Americans call bread pudding is closer to our bread & butter pudding.

 

[Katie Bee]

I loved Bread pudding (and still do although not of my own making, but a local artisan supplier sells quite generous slices of same) but never took to Bread and Butter Pudding

You learn something new every day. Not liking dried fruit when I was young I never ate bread and butter pudding and I have never knowingly come across bread pudding. I had to look up what it was. I am also post war, so maybe that is why.
The first time I ate anything like bread and butter pudding was when Delia Smith created a chocolate version that did not contain dried fruit.
Sorry Peter, I won't be trying your orange version, even though I can now tollerate dried fruit if I have to.

Going back to SPAM We used to eat it in sandwiches and salads. My husband used to have SPAM fritters.
I seem to remember that it is best straight from the fridge.

 

[Bob Spiers]

These days we have Flora Light because it's cheap (I only ever buy it on special offer) and relatively healthy.

You have hit on a touchy subject (for me at least) and that is the qualifying word 'Light' (aka Lite). Second only to drinks labelled 'Lo(w) Cal'. I avoid all such and view both adulterations as a way of interfering with and reducing taste and efficacy. All done in the interest of promoting health and well being when there is no evidence that they do so. (More on that later).

Taking Low Cal drinks first: I enjoy drinking Lime flavoured Tonic water on its own (sans Gin I might add); sometimes lemon as an alternative. To my annoyance at the moment Tesco only have the Low Cal versions (this might be down to supply problems rather than cutting out the unadulterated versions). To get round this I buy plain (unadulterated) Tonic Water and add slices of lime (or lemon). My wife enjoys a Summer-fruits drink (similar to 'Pimms' but NOT -as that is far too dear). It has an alcoholic base but is topped up with Lemonade (without additive fruit or umbrellas on sticks). She also will not touch the Lo-Cal versions and fumes when she has to seek out natural lemonade. If she cannot locate same (and I have know her seek out staff and get them to look for same) we go elsewhere.

As for Light (Lite) Butter/ Margarine, we prefer NORDPAK standard Butter spread (lightly salted) available in tubs (small medium and large) but NOT the Lite version. I also buy butter packs (salted and unsalted) for use in cooking, but for spreading on toast, sandwiches always Nordpak butter spread. We do not buy Flora or any other Margarine type product.

I have mentioned before that I was advised on a Diabetes Prevention Programme to avoid all Lo-Cal versions of drinks. I was borderline diabetic, but in the end and after tests was not diabetic. My wife who is diabetic (type 2) is reminded often when attending her Diabetic Clinic also to avoid Lo-Cal drinks. So we have both taken those warnings to heart.

The advice on butter or margarine and cheese for that matter is go by choice but eat in moderation. We do vary as my wife has 'Good Cholesterol' ratings whilst I have statins to keep my (not so good) cholesterol in check. But time and again specialist advice has always been to try to choose natural unprocessed food, whilst noticing labels regarding Calorie/Sugar/Salt. I leave such things to my wife but with the proviso that the product must also come up to taste standards.

This is the advice found online:

"There is no clear evidence indicating how healthy or unhealthy light or low calorie foods are. The fact is that they don't have any proven benefits for our health. They are not necessarily the most effective choice of foods for weight loss either. If you want to lost weight in a healthy way, the best route is to stick with natural unprocessed foods and cut about 300 calories per day.

 

[peter]

At your time in life Bob, it probably isn't going to make much difference. But for those who are younger and want to live to Bob's age and beyond, stick to sugar-free drinks if you can, and buying light versions of butter or margarine, and skimmed or semi-skimmed milk will make a big difference over the years.