Home Current Ashes of war to S. Korea holiday gift: Spam Spam Spam

Ashes of war to S. Korea holiday gift: Spam Spam Spam

71

Ashes of war to S. Korea holiday gift: Spam Spam SpamFrom the front lines of war to a staple of institutional catering, Spam is rarely seen as a gourmet ingredient — but the canned pink meat holds a unique position in South Korea as a top-selling holiday gift. Ahead of the Chuseok harvest festival which starts Sunday — one of Korea’s biggest celebrations and an occasion for mass family gatherings — presentation wooden boxes of the blue-and-yellow tins, nestled in packing straw, line the shelves of both major retailers and local convenience stores. An upmarket black-label pack with six cans of Spam and two bottles of Andalusian olive oil costs over 90,000 won ($80), but the most popular version is a nine-tin set at 30,000 won.