Spam Poppular in South Korea

Spam, the canned meant considered by some as barely fit for human consumption is seen as a delicacy in Korea, to the bafflement of the LA Times.

Spam, made by the U.S. firm Hormel, is produced in Korea by distributors CJ, which bought the rights and started making its own version from 1987. CJ-made Spam is adapted to suit Korean tastes, with less salt than Hormel-made Spam.

The luncheon meat might be the subject of satire in the U.S., but in South Korea it is positively classy, the LA daily said Monday.

In Korea the processed meat is expensive, costing $44 for a set of 12 cans, so that on the Chuseok holiday alone, eight million cans of Spam change hands.

With $136 million in sales, South Korea is the largest market in the world for Spam outside the U.S..