Spark Study Buddy (Explorer): Why Spam is so popular across America
This page has an easy read with questions to test your understanding and work on your English skills.
Spam musubi, a popular dish in Japan and the US state of Hawaii, has recently become popular in the mainland US. Photo: ShutterstockContent provided by British Council
[1] Jess Kelley grew up in Hawaii. She cannot remember her first time trying Spam. It was just always there. Hawaiians eat seven million cans of Spam a year, more per capita than any other US state. Now, Spam musubi – cooked Spam on sticky rice wrapped in seaweed – has become popular. This dish, along with other Polynesian and Korean recipes, has started changing the cuisine in mainland states.
[2] US food processing company Hormel Foods introduced the canned meat in 1937. At the time, company leaders did not think it would be eaten worldwide. Then, a few grocery stores on the west coast of the US added Spam musubi to their sushi sections. The idea took off in the past few years.
[3] The Hawaiian treat is also a favourite in Japan. It can be found in a thousand stores in the US and on restaurant menus. There is also a permanent new Spam flavour, Korean BBQ. A limited-time gochujang, or red chilli paste flavour, has also been introduced. Spam is no longer an American cultural export. It is a global cuisine.
[4] At Ono Hawaiian Plates, a restaurant in Minneapolis, Minnesota, it is often kids and young adults who are ordering Spam musubi and getting their parents to try it, or friends pressuring friends to try it for the first time, said Kelley, who is co-owner of the restaurant.
[5] “They’re like, OK, I’ll just have one – then they come back and ask for another one,” Kelley said. “The other day, we had a 10-year-old order two Spam musubi and a poke bowl.” Poke is a Hawaiian dish of raw seafood served over rice.
[6] Ono Hawaiian Plates sells up to 300 Spam musubi every day. Co-owner and chef Warren Seta says this is because customers are more adventurous. This is especially true for younger diners. Kevin Yingling was one of those customers recently. “You gotta get the Spam musubi,” he said.
[7] “We see these ‘Spam-curious’ consumers. If you can get them to try it, they realise it’s really good,” said Jason Baskin. He is the director of marketing for Spam. “If you’ve never tried Spam, maybe you do not know what to do with it.”
Source: Tribune News Service, October 22
Questions
1. In paragraph 1, how many cans of Spam do Hawaiians eat every year?
2. According to paragraph 2, musubi is …
A. a drink made from Spam.
B. a type of sushi with fish.
C. cooked Spam with sticky rice and seaweed.
D. a sort of seaweed made from Spam.
3. Which of the two flavours mentioned in paragraph 3 is only available for a certain period of time?
4. Why do young people order musubi according to paragraph 4?
A. They want to try seaweed.
B. They want others to try it.
C. It is the cheapest dish on the menu.
D. They enjoy eating Spam.
5. Write the correct punctuation for this statement. (2 marks)
Spam (i) _____ a canned meat (ii) _____ is very popular around the world.
6. Circle the correct quantifier for each sentence below. (3 marks)
(i) (A lot of / Any) people in Hawaii eat Spam.
(ii) (Some / much) new Spam flavours have been introduced.
(ii) (Much / Many) stores in the US now sell musubi.
Answers
1. seven million
2. C
3. gochujang
4. B
5. (i), (ii)
6. (i) A lot of; (ii) Some; (iii) Many