Spam, Spam, Spam, Spam ...

Wonderful Spam. I suppose it was a result of my mother force-feeding me Spam casserole as a kid, but I have to admit the occasional craving -- let's say, once every couple years or so. Hey, we sing the praises of scrapple around here, so who are we to denigrate any loaflike pork product?

Not one to ignore significant culinary developments simply because of its lowly reputation, I've sniffed out (phew!) some Spam news from around the world.

Dateline United Kingdom: Not only can you get Spam Fritters here -- "succulent pieces of Spam covered in a deliciously light and crispy golden batter" -- they have a "limited edition" Spam product called (I swear) "Stinky French Garlic Spam." A take-off of the old Monty Python film "Holy Grail," it's "actually made in Denmark with Chinese Garlic," and features cartoon Holy Grail characters on the can. I want one!

It also turns out they're mad for the stuff in Hawaii -- Burger King just relented to competition from McDonald's there and began offering Spam-inated items. There's the Spam Platter — "two slices of Spam nestled between white rice and scrambled eggs." I think I'll stick with the Biscuit Sandwich with Spam.

Tidbit: There are more varieties of Spam sold in Hawaii than anywhere else -- Spam Garlic, Spam Bacon, Spam with Cheese, Spam with Tabasco. We have Spam Turkey locally, though I would not advise trying it.