Amid the mini donuts, ice cream and other concession items, maybe the most unique of all at Freedom Fest 2009 was the Spam Burger.

Tim Duren has been bringing out his Spam cooking booth to Freedom Fest for the past five to six years, joined with his son John on the grill. The Spam fanatics have even brought their cuisine to the Minnesota State Fair the last three summers.

“It’s just a Minnesota icon,” John Duren said of the canned ham.

A Spam Burger is much like a regular burger, except with a ham patty substituted for the beef.

John Duren said he’s seen some people go beyond the standard mustard and ketchup routine — he said barbecue and ranch Spam Burgers have been the weirdest he’s seen.

Tim Duren said he was ready for big sales at Freedom Fest 2009 — on Friday, the owner said he had nearly 1,000 cans of Spam ready for the grill.