Rick and Una Hall of Kihei had planned to hit a Maui taro fest this weekend but a mudslide closed the Hana Highway. So instead, they hopped a plane with their pals Bob and Kaye Hermann, came to O'ahu and partied hearty at yesterday's Spam Jam in Waikiki.

Rick Hall was munching mightily on a Spam hot dog, a tres haute culinary delight making its global debut at the Jimmy Buffett Margaritaville booth on Kalakaua Avenue. He deemed it savory, "one and a-half thumbs up."

The Halls and Hermanns waxed enthusiastic about how much they love Waikiki, the great music, the friendly people, the mucho aloha.

Not only could one have the much-sought-after Spam hot dog, but Spam chili was available as a condiment.

Toothsome choices abounded for the thousands of carnivores who flocked to the canned meat celebration: Spam fried rice; Spam potato salad; Spam baby burgers; Spam noodles; Spam pasta; Spam sushi ("You can make anything into sushi," said cook Kevin Aoki); Spam okonomiyaki (pancakes); Spam lettuce wraps; Spam loco moco complete with an egg over easy; and Murphy's corned beef and cabbage Spamwich (which promoter Don Murphy admitted might be "a bit of a reach").

Talia Higgins, 11, and her auntie Isabel Kearney were creating a distraction in the middle of the avenue with six adorable little doggies (real dogs, not Spam dogs), but dining was also on their agenda.

For the truly exotic, there were the Mango BBQ Spam Sliders at the Gordon Biersch booth, whose secret sauce included mango, guava, molasses, ketchup, apple cider vinegar, soy sauce and other hush-hush ingredients.

A jolly time was had by all. Proceeds went to Hawaii Foodbank.