Odd but awesome: Spam Museum on top 10 list of world stops

The world’s largest travel guidebook publisher is paying homage to Austin’s Spam Museum.

Lonely Planet named Hormel Foods Corp.’s Spam Museum as one of the top 10 “Oddest Food Museums” in the world for 2013. The list, which is part of Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2013 edition, features the Spam Museum, the Jell-O Gallery in New York, a vinegar museum in Japan, and even currywurst and asparagus museums in Germany.

“People love the Spam Museum,” Hormel Manager of External Communications Rick Williamson said. “It’s a one-stop shop of Spam history and a nostalgic look at this delicious kitchen staple made of 100 percent pure pork and ham that the world has come to know and love. Best of all, admission is free.”

The book includes Lonely Planet’s picks for the top 10 countries, cities, and regions to visit in 2013, as well as other fun, thematic travel lists including Best Value Destinations, Best Places to Get Fit, The Unluckiest Places in the World, and Best Places to Hunt for Buried Treasure, according to a company spokesperson.

The Top 10 Oddest Food Museums are:

—Pick Salami & Paprika Museum, Szeged, Hungary

—Currywurst Museum, Berlin, Germany

—Shinyokohama Raumen Museum, Yokohama, Japan

—Pulmuone Kimchi Museum, Seoul, South Korea

—Jell-O Gallery, LeRoy, New York

—Spam Museum, Austin, Minn.

—Frietmuseum, Bruges, Belgium

—Su No Sato Vinegar Museum, Handa, Japan

—Burlingame Museum of Pez Memorabilia, San Francisco

—European Asparagus Museum, Schrobenhausen, Germany

Read more about each odd museum at here.