Strange Food Fads Of The 1950s

While canned meats aren't exactly strange (and are still around today), the sheer volume of canned meat consumed in the 1950s is odd along with all the different varieties and brands, too. In 1926, Hormel Foods produced "the world's first canned ham" (via Hormel Foods), and by 1937, the company introduced Spam, which, according

While canned meats aren't exactly strange (and are still around today), the sheer volume of canned meat consumed in the 1950s is odd — along with all the different varieties and brands, too. In 1926, Hormel Foods produced "the world's first canned ham" (via Hormel Foods), and by 1937, the company introduced Spam, which, according to the brand's website, went on to "become synonymous" with soldiers during World War II.

After the war, soldiers returned home with a sudden penchant for the salty luncheon meat, and as '50s food author Laura Shapiro told the NPR, "some foods developed for soldiers [...] successfully transplanted into the home." As The Saturday Evening Post notes, while most people today know of Spam, this period saw countless alternatives such as Treet, Prem, and Mor — all with their own colorful adverts showcasing different dishes one could conjure up. "the '50s food industry tried to convince American women that they didn't enjoy cooking or have time to do it — and that they'd be better off turning to a box or can," explained Shapiro to the NPR.

Sure enough, housewives definitely got crafty with their Spam concoctions. One recipe in Better Homes & Gardens, for example, advertised a "Twenty Minute Roast," which consisted of "wedges of Spam glazed with orange marmalade" (via NPR). By 1959, Spam produced its one-billionth can.

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