With summertime coming to a slow close, if you’re anything like me, you’re using your grill less and less. However, it’s not over yet, so fire those babies up for SPAM’s newest food-ition, SPAMdogs.
Yes, it is exactly what it sounds like. A hotdog, made out of SPAM, the canned mystery meat. Well, it’s not a total mystery what goes into SPAM: at the very least, we know there’s some pork shoulder, also known as “Boston Butt.”
This may actually be a good sign for the hot dog industry—now there’s a sentence you’ve never heard, and I’ve never written before. Non-premium “all-beef” or “all-pork” options are generally wieners made from much more dubious odds and ends, including but not limited to pork, beef, turkey, and chicken.
Do I think it will taste any different than your average hot dog? Probably not, but I’m sure SPAM connoisseurs will be able to taste the difference. People already grill SPAM for the classic Hawaiian dish, SPAM Musubi. The only new aspect is the wiener’s shape. Haley Eggum, SPAM’s brand manager, seemed enthused about this addition to the legions of origin-ambiguous hot dog options.
“We’re excited to be rolling out the SPAM® Dog and the opportunity it creates for foodservice operators to offer something both familiar and surprising. It’s a fresh, new take on a hot dog with the unmistakable flavor that SPAM fans know and love.”
It’s been a summer full of weird food combinations. So, honestly, compared to the fried chicken Oreos, this is a pretty natural form for SPAM to take. Meat belongs in hot dogs; KFC fried chicken batter flavoring does not belong between two chocolate cookies, in my humble journalistic opinion. But who cares what I think?
SPAMdogs will be available premade in stadiums and for your own grilling pleasure at your local convenience store.