PREPARE FOR STORMS

As a hurricane batters the Carolinas, and a monster typhoon heads toward the northern tip of Luzon, and then on to Hong Kong, all I can think of is luncheon meat. In a tin. It isn't that I am heartless, hungry, and culinarily barbaric. Rather that canned meats represent security when disaster strikes as much as batteries, sturdy boarding, and bottled water.
Plus duct tape and binder clips.

The Bay Area counts as high ground when tropical storms hit elsewhere. Consequently many middle class white locals abjure tinned proteins.
"Why bother", they think, "when the sushi bar still has maguro?"

Then they casually puff a bit on their vape-pen.
While sipping chilled chardonnay.


Two doors up from the restaurant where I will have porkchops and rice for a late lunch one of my other favourite places offers fried luncheon meat and a fried egg with soup noodles for $6.50.


餐蛋公仔面
Chaan daan gong jai min

Two slabs of Spam. A fried egg. One packet of chicken or shrimp flavour instant noodles, and a little bokchoy (小白菜) or brassica (油菜). It's the breakfast of champions. As well as a quick lunch, dinner, and after midnight snack while binge watching a soup opera or boning for an exam.
It's got egg, got meat, and got vegetable.
有蛋、有肉、有菜。

Your mother might approve.
Soul food.


You needn't look so snooty. There are upscale versions. Long simmered pork bone broth with oil noodle or ho fan, and the tenderest baby mustard, plus a little black garlic oil. Even fresh shrimp.


Trust me, an entire generation of working stiffs, of all genders and ages, have grown up eating this. Some of them have prospered mightily, many others more have assuaged their grief over lost love or hard times, and countless school children have happily prepared it for themselves upon returning home, while their parents worked two and a half jobs each to eventually put them through college.

The reasonable alternative isn't sushi washed down with white wine.
Many of those people have never seen white wine.

Eat it.



Even if a tropical storm is not heading your way, buy a few extra tins.




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