Culinary History Enthusiasts of Wisconsin

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courtesy Kelly A. Spring

A close-up of Kelly A. Spring.

Kelly A. Spring

CHEW (Culinary History Enthusiasts of Wisconsin) will gather virtually to start the new year, welcoming Kelly A. Spring, who studies SPAM. Not the junk email. The pink canned food. Spring is the author of SPAM: A Global History, and her talk, “The Five Misconceptions about SPAM (the Food)” may clear up enough of the negative perceptions surrounding the much maligned meat product to steer you away from those pricey sirloins. Or conversely, tip the scales to becoming vegan. Click here to join the talk on Jan. 7; passcode: 863382.

media release: The Culinary History Enthusiasts of Wisconsin (CHEW) present:

“The Five Misconceptions about SPAM (the Food)”

Speaker: Kelly A. Spring, PhD

Many Americans view SPAM with disdain, preferring instead to buy fresh meat at more expensive prices. But this negative view of the canned good stems from misinformation or lack of information about its creation, production, history and consumption. There are five primary misconceptions about SPAM, which relegate it to a lowly status in the American grocery store and in people’s homes. This presentation dispels those false perceptions and provides a better understanding of the food, offering a complete picture of what SPAM is and what it is not. The talk includes an overview of the processed food from its origins to the present-day, charting its 89-year history, and exploring its enduring and complex legacy around the world.

This meeting is free and open to the public via Zoom. (There is no in-person meeting in January.) For more info, visit the Culinary History Enthusiasts of Wisconsin.

Kelly A. Spring, PhD, is an author, entrepreneur, researcher and lecturer of food history. Her work examines the impact of domestic crises and international conflict on domestic and global food systems in British and American history. Her company, The Fork Front, based in Washington, D.C., offers services ranging from consulting, researching and writing about food history to creating curated food history narratives, courses and menus. She founded and is the lead convener of the Institute of Historical Research’s Food History Seminar in the UK. Spring co-hosts the bi-weekly food history podcast, The Hungry Historians. Her latest book, SPAM: A Global History, charts how food was used by the United States to spread its culture and values in wartime, impacting people’s foodways and lifestyles around the globe.