2009 comebacks: Spam
Filed under: Budgets, Extracurriculars, Food, Health
For many people, Spam is a culinary joke, the ultimate example of cheap, dead-end cuisine. Perhaps its most famous pop-culture moment came in a Monty Python skit, in which every menu item in a cruddy, crowded cafeteria came with a side order of the ubiquitous pink product. Arguably, however, it has gained even greater renown as a broad term for unsolicited e-mail. Then again, according to some sources, internet spam was named for the Monty Python skit, and thus, indirectly, for the famed food.Spam doesn't get much respect, either as a food, a phenomenon, or even as a skit (personally, I prefer the Bruces sketch). It is generally regarded as representing the worst in processed, fake meat, somewhere below canned chili, hot dogs, and corned beef hash on the culinary hierarchy. In fact, when I told my daughter's day care provider that I was going to try Spam for the first time, she scrunched up her face and declared that the famed pink meat product was "desperation food."
In truth, however, Spam has a long and proud history. For example, it was one of the few meat products that were generally available in the United Kingdom during World War II. Thus, the famed Spam sketch was born out of the fact that the meat was, literally, a life saver for the besieged island country. Spam made its way into the Hawaiian diet at the same time and for much the same reasons. It is still among the most popular foods in the island state, where per capita Spam consumption hovers around six cans a year.
Over the past few months, with the economy exploring its capacity for self-destruction, Spam has gained new relevance. As a cheap substitute for more expensive ham and beef cuts, it has had a sort of renaissance, with growing sales and increased cultural consideration. In fact, Time magazine recently ran an article in which it asked several prominent chefs to develop recipes that used the canned meat. Their results look very interesting.
It's also worth noting that the meat, which was once infamous for its collection of artificial ingredients, seems downright pure by today's food-adulteration standards. Comprised of pork shoulder, ham, water, sugar, salt, sodium nitrite, and potato starch, it sports nary a molecule of high fructose corn syrup, partially hydrogenated oil, carageenan, or any of the other pseudo-ingredients that seem to clog up every processed food these days.
My introduction to Spam came courtesy of Spam musubi, a Hawaiian snack food that combines the American processed meat with Japanese sushi preparation and teriyaki flavorings. The recipe that I followed came from this site, which also has a recipe for Monty Python's distinctive "Lobster Thermidore aux Crevettes with Mornay Sauce, Truffle Pate, Brandy, Fried Egg and Spam." While I'm not in a hurry to try the lobster recipe, I have to admit that the musubi was quite tasty. Salty-sweet and tangy, with a nice combination of textures, it was not at all the slimy mess that I expected. In fact, while future experiments will probably involve reduced-sodium Spam Lite, I can guarantee that I will be visiting the world of Spam again!
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
1-22-2009 @ 11:16AM
righturn said...
Spam cut into bite-sized pieces are enjoyed by many Orientals who dip them into hot pots with chopsticks for heating. Very good with noodles and vegetables.
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1-22-2009 @ 6:46PM
TowBoater in TX said...
Spam, when sliced thin and pan fried is a very tasty sandwich.
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1-24-2009 @ 11:04PM
Patricia West said...
A fried Spam sandwich was a much sought after lunch in my youth and we loved them as adults. Spam from the can on it's own has a different taste. It if often used in macaroni salads and such. An economical and delicious add on.
1-25-2009 @ 4:35PM
Wolfster said...
Can't go on a camping trip without at least one can of Spam - it's just not done in my family. After years of juggling the two slices side-by-side in a sandwich, someone showed me the brilliant, obvious solution of simply cutting one slice off the widest side, which fits perfectly on the bread. Some things you just ask yourself "How could I have never thought of that myself?"
Btw, you HAVE to cook it - pan-fried is the way I like best. That is how you get rid of the sliminess which is just the gelatin, like any canned ham has.
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1-25-2009 @ 5:19PM
Sandra said...
I never really liked span when I was young, until someone made some with pineapple, on a camping trip.
You simply cook the span on each side lightly, and then reduce the heat and add the juice from a can of pineapple chunks. Let it simmer for about 10 minutes, and then add the pineapple, and stir fry for a a few more minutes, until the pineapple is heated through.
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1-25-2009 @ 7:05PM
Chef Alfred said...
Actually, peasant foods are the most flavorful, but when I contacted the Geo Hormel company for specific information as to "exactly" what parts of the pig were in Spam, I was threatened with legal action. So, if the people that make it wont tell me what's in it, sorry I'll pass..I suggest use a small canned ham instead...alfredschrader@aol.com
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1-26-2009 @ 1:07AM
Kristina said...
Spam has become a regular in our home. We use the lower sodium version and keep it simple. Dice it into small pieces... we make two meals out of a can for 2 of us... pan fry it until browned and heated through. Add to rice with a little butter. My hubby's favorite is white rice, but I really like it with my Jasmine brown rice. Another way is to fry it, and then mix it with a can of corn (heated) and a package of mac and cheese. Yum!
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1-26-2009 @ 11:27PM
cornrefiner said...
High fructose corn syrup may have a complicated-sounding name, but it's actually a simple sweetener, made from corn, that is nutritionally the same as sugar.
Like table sugar and honey, high fructose corn syrup contains no artificial or synthetic ingredients or color additives.
The American Medical Association in June 2008 helped put to rest misunderstandings about this sweetener and obesity, stating that “high fructose syrup does not appear to contribute to obesity more than other caloric sweeteners.”
Even former critics of high fructose corn syrup dispel long-held myths and distance themselves from earlier speculation about the sweetener’s link to obesity as the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition releases its 2008 Vol. 88 supplement's comprehensive scientific review.
Many confuse pure “fructose” with "high fructose corn syrup," a sweetener that never contains fructose alone, but always in combination with a roughly equivalent amount of a second sugar (glucose). Recent studies that have examined pure fructose - often at abnormally high levels - have been inappropriately applied to high fructose corn syrup and have caused significant consumer confusion.
Consumers can see the latest research and learn more about high fructose corn syrup at www.HFCSfacts.com and www.SweetSurprise.com.
Audrae Erickson
President
Corn Refiners Association
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1-27-2009 @ 4:04PM
Paul Allen said...
Here's what the #1 Natural-Health Website on the Internet has to say about High Fructose Corn Syrup:
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/10/21/guess-who-funds-high-fructose-corn-syrup-studies.aspx
Wow! Who knew it was this bad?
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2-07-2009 @ 12:06PM
SweetP said...
I am 67 +, was raised on Spam, during WWll and later. My kids love it, my grand children love it. Have you ever tried- -sliced Spam, fresh garden tomatoe slices, and a slice of sweet Vidalia onion, on bread, spread with Miracle Whip??? It is THE MOST refreshing sandwich, I have ever eaten. Try it, you may even like it--but it is a bit juicy, if you use homegrown, fresh garden tomatoes in the summer. Store bought are good, but you have to pick and choose, so you get that "real" tomato flavor.Know what I mean??!!. Sometimes, I just like to score a can or two, across the top, add a few cloves, and cover with a mixture of mustard and brown sugar.Bake (or nuke).You know, the way we used to cook a ham, in the good old days. It's quick & easy to prepare, and well received. I have to add, tthough~~I liked Spam MUCH better, BEFORE they changed the texture of the meat,several years back.. It used to be unique, with a somewhat coarser texture, and I think, a LOT more flavor. Now it is like Treet, a sort of, similar brand. No, Spam is NOT cheap---unless you compare it with, say, Rib Eye steak---but then, who wants old chewy steak, anyway?? I like to sit down to a meal that is relatively, quick and easy to prepare, tasty, that I can offer seconds to whomever, and not feel as if I had to rob Fort Knox, to purchase. Fried Spam slices, on bread, with THIN slices of cold butter, on it--mmmmm. The butter melts from the hot meat--delicious!!! I enjoyed reading so many other suggested uses of spam, many of which I intend to try, in the near and distant future.
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2-08-2009 @ 6:07PM
Curucahm said...
I love spam, and was raised on it. The standard family meal once a week was spam, kraft mac-n-cheese, and canned peas or green beans. Now I prefer to use it as a ham substitute. Its great in fried rice, and it really good mixed in marinara sauce for spaghetti. But nothing beats it sliced thin and fried. I've tried some of the various flavors (except spam n cheese) but give me the classic spam every time. I've made some great dishes over the years with spam,my only miserable failure was spam that was breaded and fried. It didn't work well at all...
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3-24-2009 @ 8:58AM
Diane said...
Raised on Spam during WW2 and really liked it. Have just discovered Turkey Spam and have become addicted. So good with mustard on crackers for a snack.
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4-03-2009 @ 11:49AM
Quietman said...
Must be good, prices are going up again.
Try my favorite SPAM treat, 2 slices of bread, toasted, a layer of peanut-butter, add 2 slices of SPAM on the peanut-butter layer. The SPAM can be anywhere from raw to crusty cooked.
I still use 2-3 cans of Spam a month, my kids won't eat it, but my grandkids love it.
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