With just a little over a week to go, SPAM contestants are eagerly testing and preparing their dishes for SPAM Cook-Off 2019 on Feb 3rd.  To that end, we have had many questions about the specifics of the competition, as this year the Judging has changed just a tiny bit.  

Contestants will be weighted on four categories equally by each of the five Judges... Taste, Oral Presentation,Visual Appearance of Food, and the percentage of SPAM included in your dish.  

Contestants must provide each of the five judges with one, and only one, small bite or sample that you feel bests represents the taste of your recipe.  For instance, do not provide five dishes, each with a burger, fries, and salad to each judge.  Rather cut up one burger into five pieces.  Remember the Judges may be sampling over 30 entrants. 

Let's look at each category of judging.

Taste:  Pretty self explanatory ... how good does the sample you provide to the judge taste.

Oral Presentation:  Each contestant will be provided up to 5 minutes to explain what inspired their dish, how they prepared it, and what is in it.

Visual Appearance:  What does your dish look like?  Is it simply a bowl of chili, or is it an elaborately carved pineapple graced with an array of condiments and fried SPAM all shaped like a replica of Bowery Station?

Percentage of SPAM:  In some way you should be able to illustrate how much SPAM is actually in your dish, and moreso even in the small sample that you provide to the judges.  For instance, is it an all SPAM sculpture of a guitar (100%), or is it a shrimp salad with a few pieces of SPAM contained in it?

Prizes will be awarded for first and second runner up, boobie, and of course SPAM Champion 2019.   Warmers will be available, as well as small heating devices such as microwaves and toaster ovens.  Contestants can begin signups at 1pm, at 2pm they will be randomly divided into heats of 3 and then the judging begins!  This is a fun based event filled with bribery and debauchery, so plan accordingly! 

After the awards ceremony, our slate of musician Judges, Melissa Bowman, Brian Bowen, Eric Pfeufer, and Clayton Mathis plan to put on a mixed up jam session of biblical proportions to last well into the evening.  This will once again be an event to remember, so sharpen up those recipes and get your SPAM on!