Foods that we won't eat

[Addie]

Spam came about during WWII. The goverment needed a source of meat for the military. Morrell had left over meat from the pig (smoked shoulder) and developed Spam with it. They got the contract. It was sent to the Pacific to see how the military would take to it For those who wouldn't eat it, it made a great item for trade with the native population. For a meat starved areas of the globe, it was a great hit. The Japanese would confiscate most local foods. But they wouldn't touch the Spam. They didn't understand the concept of canned foods. Remember at that time, the can of Spam had a key attached to it and you didn't need a can opener.

 

[taxlady]

Cranberries were founded in Bay Colony by the 1st settlers in 1620, I believe it was.

To my knowledge; USA native foods:

1) cranberries
2) wild turkeys
3) salmon
4) lobsters ( Maine )

I am sure there are many other vegetables in the former Bay Colony ( New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island area in addition to the West --- only they were discovered later by the settlers )

M.C.

Cranberries are also native to Scandinavia. What a surprise.

 

[Greg Who Cooks]

...They didn't understand the concept of canned foods. Remember at that time, the can of Spam had a key attached to it and you didn't need a can opener.

I haven't bought or eaten SPAM for decades... (Why does the product name look better to me in all capitals?) I thought they has always had a built in key to open the can. So many canned products these days come with built in tabs to facilitate opening. It makes me wonder if can openers are slated for obsolescence.

Way back many eras ago (glacial ages ago) I once succumbed to the "on the can" recipe where you score the surface and poke in whole cloves and IIRC sprinkle with brown sugar or something, some sort of malignant parody of how hams are sometimes cooked. Surprisingly, I recall it wasn't that bad... Maybe a bit fatty...

Cranberries are also native to Scandinavia. What a surprise.

Really? Or joking? I can't find an authoritative source. I had always thought cranberries were native to North America, thus the prominence in US and CA Thanksgiving celebrations.

And the turkey... I have heard that Ben Franklin wanted to make the turkey the official American bird (national emblem? whatever), instead of the eagle. I believe the story although I am sometimes gullible.

 

[Addie]

It now come with that pull tab also. And there are now 12 different SPAM products.

 

[Greg Who Cooks]

Any of them SPAM Lite? (For diet conscious SPAM lovers...)

 

[Addie]

Really? Or joking? I can't find an authoritative source. I had always thought cranberries were native to North America, thus the prominence in US and CA Thanksgiving celebrations.

Vaccinium oxycoccos or Oxycoccus palustris (Common Cranberry or Northern Cranberry) is widespread throughout the cool temperate northern hemisphere, including northern Europe, northern Asia and northern North America. It has small 5–10 mm leaves. The flowers are dark pink, with a purple central spike, produced on finely hairy stems. The fruit is a small pale pink berry, with a refreshing sharp acidic flavour.


From Wikipedia. Who'd a thunk it?

 

[Addie]

Any of them SPAM Lite? (For diet conscious SPAM lovers...)

Yes, In regular size cans and half size ones.
SPAM > SPAM® Products

 

[PrincessFiona60]

I have a special cutter for SPAM:

 

[Greg Who Cooks]

Addie, I'm not sure if "well spread" indicates origin of species. Nor is Wikipedia an authoritative source, although I use it all the time myself.

It seems to me that the less SPAM you eat the lighter it is. (Or "liter" in modern terms.) I imagine the "litest" SPAM would be any empty can, or not eating it at all.

Maybe somebody should start a topic "SPAM recipes." Not me...

 

[TATTRAT]

Addie, I'm not sure if "well spread" indicates origin of species. Nor is Wikipedia an authoritative source, although I use it all the time myself.

It seems to me that the less SPAM you eat the lighter it is. (Or "liter" in modern terms.) I imagine the "litest" SPAM would be any empty can, or not eating it at all.

Maybe somebody should start a topic "SPAM recipes." Not me...

http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f49/spam-the-kind-you-eat-69636.html

 

[Greg Who Cooks]

Thanks for the topic search Tat. I should have seen that coming...

There wouldn't be any SPAM topic about which I eat. I don't eat it. Too yucky for me.

Maybe I'll read that topic but I just ate dinner and I'm not so sure I wanna go there right now.

 

[Addie]

I have a special cutter for SPAM:

She is an out of control woman. That is three for you today. You have reached your limit.

 

[taxlady]

I have a special cutter for SPAM:

Does it have a name?

 

[PrincessFiona60]

Limit...I thought it was "at least.." You should see my cheese knife.

Yes, TL. It's name is...Excalibur!

 

[taxlady]

Addie, I'm not sure if "well spread" indicates origin of species. Nor is Wikipedia an authoritative source, although I use it all the time myself.
...

How about Encyclopedia Britannica: cranberry (fruit) -- Britannica Online Encyclopedia

 

[Greg Who Cooks]

From your article, "Cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon) fruit of any of several small creeping or trailing plants of the genus Vaccinium (family Ericaceae), related to the blueberries. The small-fruited, or northern, cranberry (V. oxycoccus) is found in marshy land in northern North America and Asia and in northern and central Europe." and "Other fruits of species in the genus Vaccinium are erroneously called cranberries. The cowberry, or foxberry (V. vitis-idaea), also known as mountain, or rock, cranberry, or as lingonberry, is not cultivated but is used in northern Europe and by Scandinavians in the United States."

Particularly noting "is found" is not equivalent to "originated from." Boa constrictors are found in Florida, doesn't mean they came from there.

Also interesting to note lingonberries evidently popular in Scandinavia, similar to but not actual cranberries.

I don't feel like pursuing the subject. I know nothing about this. All I can do is google it. I recall cranberries are native to NA but I recall lots of things that are wrong. You could write a book based upon things I'm wrong about, although it probably wouldn't be a very interesting book.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

The family (genus) is Vaccinium, the subgenus is oxycoccus, the sub-sub genus is macrocarpon...which are found in North America.

You are splitting hairs Greg, they are all in the same family of fruits.

 

[Addie]

I am with you Greg. I grew up and aged quite a bit believing that cranberries were native to North America. I usually go to Wiki knowing it is not always an accurate place for info. Today is the first time that idea ever came into question. According to the Wiki cranberries grow in Scotland also then along with Northern Ireland.

I did once read that the lingonberries were similar to our cranberry. I think not only the berry is different but also the bush or vine it grows on. Our cranberry grows along the ground thus harvested with large wooden "comb scoops" or with the new method of shaking them loose in a flooded bog. I have no idea how the lingonberry in Scandinavia is harvested. I really am not intereted nor do I care. So I doubt I wil bother to look it up.

 

[Greg Who Cooks]

I would feel better seeing "native to" as opposed to "is found." This is not a subject important to me. I don't view Wikipedia as any authoritative source. I can visit it right now and change "is found" to "native to." Let's just leave it be.

Meanwhile cranberries are pretty good. Don't buy the canned ones. Get frozen or fresh, then follow the package directions but cut the sugar in half. That is all.

 

[taxlady]

From your article, "Cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon) fruit of any of several small creeping or trailing plants of the genus Vaccinium (family Ericaceae), related to the blueberries. The small-fruited, or northern, cranberry (V. oxycoccus) is found in marshy land in northern North America and Asia and in northern and central Europe." and "Other fruits of species in the genus Vaccinium are erroneously called cranberries. The cowberry, or foxberry (V. vitis-idaea), also known as mountain, or rock, cranberry, or as lingonberry, is not cultivated but is used in northern Europe and by Scandinavians in the United States."

Particularly noting "is found" is not equivalent to "originated from." Boa constrictors are found in Florida, doesn't mean they came from there.

Also interesting to note lingonberries evidently popular in Scandinavia, similar to but not actual cranberries.

I don't feel like pursuing the subject. I know nothing about this. All I can do is google it. I recall cranberries are native to NA but I recall lots of things that are wrong. You could write a book based upon things I'm wrong about, although it probably wouldn't be a very interesting book.

I meant cranberries, not lingonberries. The word for cranberry is different in Swedish (tranbär) or Danish (tyttebær) from the word for lingonberries, lingonbär & lingonbær. I can assure you that Scandinavians are almost as surprised that cranberries are native to North America, as North Americans are to find out that they grow indigenously in Scandinavia.