In S. Korea: gift that bespeaks elegance and taste

[Gifted Gourmet]

article from LA Times (free registration required)

The luncheon meat might be the subject of satire back home in the U.S., but in South Korea, it is positively classy. With $136 million in sales, South Korea is the largest market in the world for Spam outside the United States. But here, some consider the pink luncheon meat with its gelatinous shell too nice to buy for themselves, and 40% of the Spam is purchased as gifts.

"Spam really is a luxury item," said Han Geun Rae, 43, an impeccably dressed fashion buyer who was loading gift boxes of Spam into a cart at the Shinsegae department store before the recent Chusok holiday.  Chusok is the Korean equivalent of Thanksgiving, and the biggest gift-giving occasion of the year here. On this holiday alone, 8 million cans of Spam change hands.

Somehow, after reading this article, I almost began to comprehend the logic ... almost being the operative word here ...

How about you? Does this sound realistic or goofy?

[touaregsand]

Well, I was born in Seoul, have been back to visit over 100 times and moved back to live there as an adult.

Is it that hard to comprehend that a foreign commodity in a once very poor country takes on a different status? It's not really the luxury item it used to be. The article overstates that part a bit. Overall a good article though.

I wrote about American packaged foods in Korea childhood food memories.

Once poor country is an understatement. The Seoul that I was born was still struggling to rebuild after it was pummeled during the Korean war. You're starving during the war a can of spam looks and tasted pretty good. The US soldiers somtimes gave out army rations, leftover food and such to Koreans. That's where budae chigae came from or at least that's the pretty version. In reality alot of starving Koreans rummaged through trashcans at army bases and cooked down the edible stuff into a stew.

Looking at South Korea now it's hard to believe. Yeah, we've come along way in a short time. Along the way Spam became iconic of industrialization and modernization.

It's not as if Americans for instance automatically have sophisticated takes on common foreign foods. And the Japanese use of kethcup and mayo is pure elegance. I can cite numerous other examples, don't mean to offend anybody. But if you step outside of your own culture there are funny things everywhere within.

[Gifted Gourmet]

But if you step outside of your own culture there are funny things everywhere within.

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I absolutely agree with you and understood the article in the historical context of having survived the war ... it (Spam) did strike me as an unusual choice for a gift in this day and age ... and, apparently, the author of the piece as well.

Thank you for your presenting an authentic and correct view of life in postwar South Korea! Very interesting for those of us who have yet to visit there.

Link to your blog is also most intriguing!

[torakris]

About 20-25 years ago in Japan, these kind of western foods had an elevated status as well. Many of these products have become more mainstream now but you can still expect to pay about $6 for a can of Spam here.

[touaregsand]

$6.00 more or less is probably what they cost in South Korea. You see those cans everywhere.

The article got the "falling for packaging" part correctly. The consumer excesses in spending peaked before IMF to the point of absurdity.

There's still alot of price fixing in Korea. Some Korean made products are more expensive in Korea than they are in the States.

[ZenKimchi]

Got a little video that showcases it. Spam gift packs with their own carrying cases.

ZenKimchi Videos

Scroll down to the video called "Home Plus" near the bottom of the page.

[torakris]

Got a little video that showcases it.  Spam gift packs with their own carrying cases.

ZenKimchi Videos

Scroll down to the video called "Home Plus" near the bottom of the page.

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that was great!

[ronnie_suburban]

Got a little video that showcases it.  Spam gift packs with their own carrying cases.

ZenKimchi Videos

Scroll down to the video called "Home Plus" near the bottom of the page.

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LOL! Nothing says "I love you" like a tuna and spam combo-pak.

=R=

[nakji]

Spam gift packs with their own carrying cases.

I actually received a spam gift pack one year for Chuseok from my well-intentioned boss. I thanked him politely and passed all nine (!) cans on to a friend who is less pickier than I.

I think he used them for Kimchi bokkum bap.