Before we tie a big, fat bow on this year’s box of ups, down and go-arounds, I‘d like to give props to Spam, the wondrous food that started my relationship with Creative Loafing (the newspaper that I write a weekly food column for) earlier this year when I dared editor Max to lose his spam virginity to me. And yes, I was gentle. I fed him luscious morsels of Spam nestled in mounds of snowy, fluffy, white rice.
It’s not an easy task, convincing people to willingly eat meat that comes in its own coffin, especially after hearing the “STHLURP” as it slithers out and the “STHLUNK” as it lands on the counter top in a quivering, solid, gelatinous mass.
But once you get over that part, it’s delicious, savory and like a pair of tight Levi’s, it goes with just about anything. Feed me a Spam wrapped as sushi, diced in an omelet or grilled between buns of a burger, and I’m as happy as gorilla in heat.
Outside of Hawaii, though, Spam is like the ugly step-child, banned to the tippy top shelf towards the back, so far out of my 5’2” reach that I have to ask for help. Everyone shopping within earshot of the supermarket bullhorn, “customer needs assistance reaching Spam in aisle two,” stares at me as if I had just asked to be spanked with a corn tortilla. But, come on, it’s just pork in a can with a pop-top. See that gorgonzola cheese in your cart? It’s really rotting mold from a cow’s tits. Don’t you dare judge me!
I betcha can’t name another food product that pairs well with Champagne, can spawn a Monty Python sketch and kept troops alive and well-fed during WWII. So, go ahead and pick up a can of Spam the next time you’re at the market. Just say aloud, “this would be great for the hurricane box,” if you’re embarrassed.
To get you in the mood, I’m re-posting my Ode to Spam in the Style of Seuss.
Jaden’s Ode to Spam in the Style of Seuss
Do you like Fried Rice and Spam?
Would you? Could you? In a wok?
Would you like them gently tossed?
Would you like them with fish sauce?
Would you like them cut up silly?
Would you like them with fried chilli?
Would you eat ‘em with a spork?
Would you eat ‘em with with roast pork?
You may like them, they’re not obscene
You may like them in chow mien.
Eat them! Eat them! There they are!
Eat them! Eat them! Be a Spam superstar!
Spam Fried Rice
I actually prefer fish sauce instead of soy sauce in my fried rice. If you have fish sauce, replace the soy with 1 tsp of fish sauce.
3 cups cold, cooked rice, chunks broken up so grains are loose & separate
1/2 can of Spam, cut into small dice
2 eggs, beaten
2 stalks green onion, minced
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
2 cups fresh spinach leaves, finely chopped
1 tbl Chinese rice wine (or dry sherry)
2 tsp soy sauce (or 1 tsp fish sauce)
freshly ground black pepper
1. Heat cooking oil in large pan over medium high heat. When oil is hot, add eggs and gently stir to cook eggs. When eggs are about 80% cooked through (still a little runny), remove from pan and set aside. Wipe pan clean.
2. Turn heat to high. Add a little more cooking oil to pan. When hot, add diced Spam to the pan. Cook until spam is browned on all sides. Add green onions, ginger and garlic, fry until fragrant. Add spinach, fry until softened. Add rice and the cooked eggs and toss to incorporate all ingredients throughout rice.
3. Let it all just sit still in the pan so that the grains of rice have a chance to heat up, about 1 minute. Toss so that the rice that is on the top now is on the bottom. Add cooking wine and soy sauce and stir again. Season with fresh ground pepper. Cook until every grain of rice is heated through.
4. Taste…salty enough? If not, add a little more soy. But since the spam is salty already, you might want to go light on the soy.
***
Free Spam Book + SK Care Package Drawing!
Check out the “Toastvertising” video created by the authors of a very cool book, 
The Book of Spam
I’m giving away a copy of The Book of Spam + a Very Special Super Cool Steamy Kitchen Care Package full of kitchen goodies, spices and….well, it will be a surprise, ok?
To enter, comment below answering any of the following:
What’s your favorite way to have Spam?
If you’re a Spam-Virgin, why haven’t you tried? If I send you a can ‘o Spam, would you try it??
Contest ends January 1st 12pm.
{ 150 comments… read them below or add one }
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I love your preparation of spam; it’s similar to the way that my mom used to make it for me, in fried rice with some scallions, carrots, and of course spam!
I’d love to have spam in a pineapple fried rice. The succulent tartness of pineapple (fresh or canned) balances out the juiciness of spam. Delicious!
I have only tried Spam one way–in a burger, and I loved it. I have yet to cook with it myself, before I even saw this post I was looking at recipes on the Spam website, they have some pretty creative ideas. Great post!
I love it best fried (till the sides crisp up) and enveloped between squashy slices of bread. Yum!
I seriously thought spam was what I get in my box and wondered when I saw the title, what did that have to do with food. The pic of fried rice makes me want to try it…
SPAM!!! i love spam! why does everybody hate it?
it goes with anything and everything, substitutes all, can be a meal by itself – here in Geneva they have this weird, unrelated name for it “fromage d’Italie” (itlaian cheese), which confuses me immensly.
as a kid, we always had a gazillion ways to eat it… fried spam (first soaked in eggs), baked spam, spam with fried rice, spam and eggs, spam sandwiches, spam and cheese fritters…
then came spam musubi.
why ever didn’t we think of that?
now my little sister insists i make her spam musubi for bentos she takes on school outings.
but they all have to be cookies-cut first…
Mmmmm. Fried spam , scrambled eggs, tomatoes and cheese in a toasted sandwhich. Yummy!
I have never tried Spam, probably because of a possibly unreasonable negative image. I would be interested in Spam recipes, and your fried rice has me intrigued.
If I had a can in the house right now, I’d probably give the rice recipe a go.
As a matter of fact, I had Spam for breakfast today, in a preparation I usually have for lunch – let’s call it brunch. Sliced, pan-fried, on toasted white bread with mayo, yellow mustard, and a leaf of romaine, with a glass of milk on the side. Really hit the spot
I would not eat it ‘cuz it’s treif
Made from 300 swine sent through a lathe
I do not like things made with pork
I avoid pig like a big Jewish dork
I have been eating spam since my childhood days and it usually is pan fried and eaten as part of the Asian family style dinners.
But after meeting my husband who grew up in Hawaii, we have been eating spam (pan fried), eggs and rice for breakfast now when we run out of portugese sausages.
I try to get the low sodium ones coz I pretend that they are healthier. I’ve seen the spicy version and definitely have to try that.
I like a slice of Spam heating in a skillet put onto mayo-ed toast as a sandwich! I add a slice of American cheese, if I have it on hand.
Hey Girl, your food has always been appetizing and I do remember this fried rice.
Happy new year to you and the family.
I’ve come looking for that sweet chili dipping sauce recipe to make this afternoon for a lime (get-together) at a friend’s house this evening
This has got to be the BIGGEST comments of any blog I have seen!
Been eating spam since I was a kid- Dad used to pan-fry it up in 1/4″ thick slices and serve it with eggs or in a sandwich…
The Woman Who Knows Most Things has not tolerance for several food items and thus they never make an appearance in the larder…but upon occasion when she is not in residence, or when I am elsewhere (DRTO, TDY, etc) I will indulge in nostalgia.
And I do have some in the Hurricane supplies…
Heh.
After reading everyone’s replies I think I’m going to make Joanna’s Buffalo Spam sometime soon… I’m in Buffalo NY this weekend, going to the Anchor Tavern for wings tonite…
WooHoo!
TBG
I don’t think I’ve had SPAM since I was a kid, but I’m pregnant right now, so I’ll eat anything.
Helly Jaden,
Belive it or not, I grew up (in Central Florida) eating FRIED SPAM. Cut in slices right out of the can. I prefer THIN slices so it gets a really crispy crust! Sometimes I would make a Fried Spam sandwich with ketchup!
Have you ever tried Deviled Ham? Lunch meat in a can…………
So, is it wrong that the line in your post I focused on was “spank me with a corn tortilla”? Talk about food porn…
Anywho, the fondest memory I have of Spam, and still my favorite way to eat it, is either cubed or julienned, lightly fried, and then tossed with mac ‘n’ cheese. Many a college evening, this was a quick, yummy, and cheap dinner…
Oh, it’s been so long since I’ve had Spam! But my favorite way to eat it is still the same: fried in butter and then served on soft Hawaiian bread with no condiments. Yum!
Too bad I’m making your sour cherry polow this weekend or I’d probably be eating Spam sandwiches, lol.
I love Spam. Sliced and pan fried alongside a sunny side up egg, with the egg yolk runny to dunk the Spam in. Or cut up and put on top of instant mashed potatos, with velveeta melted on it. Yes, it sounds nasty and yuck, particularly if one is a foodie with 3 shelves of prized cookbooks, but Spam is like the ultimate comfort food, and here we are talking, the comfort food learned from Granny. “healthy” has nothing to do with this stuff. Don’t forget the spam sandwich… spam on white bread, with mayo, a lettuce leaf, and cheese. And best of all, Spam is fun to say, and it’s fun to see the look of horror on people’s faces when you say you actually LIKE spam!
Aloha Jaden,
I found you through your comment at Nate’s “Hawaiian Pake in Okinawa” blog.
Interesting you just did a an “Ode to SPAM” entry. I recently just did a SPAM vs. TULIP vs. TREET “Spam Musubi” entry!
Also, Anthony Bordain was here in Honolulu recently taping for his upcoming Hawaii show. One of those segments will be covering this venerable culinary hybrid we call the “Spam Musubi”. I blogged about. As well as Dave Choo, the guy who hosted the segment with him.
You can find his most interesting coverage of the experience at his blog titled, “Choo on This”. (Google for it).
Mahalo for such a wonderful food blog. Your photos are fantastic. I checked all your videos too. Very cool!
I think slab of spam with Miracle Whip on white bread – a sandwich fit for the gods!
wahahaha! i agree to the horror thing! it’s like saying you love to eat live baby hamsters!
Hah, too funny! Actually, this reminds me that I’ve got to do my spam post…there’s actually a very popular Korean dish called budae jjigae that relies upon Spammy flavour
Luncheon meat. That’s what I call SPAM. I usually buy another brand here, MaLing, as it is cheaper. SPAM is relatively expensive in SEA (Both Msia n Sg). When I was younger, I never knew that SPAM reputation is that bad in the outer world. To me, SPAM is the more expensive version of my beloved luncheon meat. That is how highly I look upon SPAM
Sliced it thinly, n pan-fried it crispy. That’s the best way. I can just eat it as a snack, sandwich it between bread or eat it with rice/noodles.
If I like to be a bit fancier, dip thinly sliced luncheon meat in beaten egg, then pan-fried. Absolutely delicious!
Jaden, only you could make me want to try Spam. The rice looks delicious. I’m a Spam virgin, but I plan to win this beautiful prize package and fix that. I’ll try it even if I don’t win, but I’d really like to win. Hint, hint.
My favorite dish using Spam was made by my mom years ago. She found the recipe in one of the many womens magazines from the 70’s. It was Spam and Jack Quiche. What possibly could be better than Spam,Jack Cheese and pie crust?
My favorite is Spam fajitas – slice the Spam, julienne it, add to sliced onions and green & red pepper strips and sautee, serve on tortillas with usual fajita accoutrements. Yum.
So you’ve had a couple of other poems in the comments – here’s mine
***
Whenever mealtimes in a jam
I pull out my can of Spam
It gives me something I can munch
For a speedy kind of lunch
So when the cupboards nearly bare
And you find a can of Spam in there
You can be rest assured for one
That your next meal is nearly done
If to Hawaii you should go
To learn to hula fast (or slow)
Theyll never serve you eggs with ham
Theyll say Aloha have some Spam!
I eat Spam morning, noon and night
For any meal its quite alright
I think its truly very good
Have you tried a can of Spam? You should!
Sometimes the Spam runs out my ears
And I think I will live four hundred years
But Ill be happy as a clam
In my pantry with my cans of Spam.
Woo! Spam really brings me back to my childhood (which wasn’t too long ago). My mum used to buy Spam from the Chinese supermarket and she really made a lot with it. It went in our chow fan, our lo mein, our sandwiches, and microwaved and eaten plain until we finished that container.
—
I love it as Spam Musubi and everything else you can make with it.
While I’ve enjoyed Spam with scrambled eggs, I’ll always think of it in the context of the University of Wisconsin student union when I was in gradual school. A Chinese friend I was meeting for lunch pulled a can of Spam and a spoon out of his backpack and said, “Look! I’ve brought a treat!”
I hope you don’t mind – I included this in my Skeletons in the Pantry re-cap…I just couldn’t resist. I’ll take it out if you want ;-(
Stumbled upon your blog via Pinoy Cook & I’m now a big fan! Anyway I love Spam, have eaten it since I was a child growing up in the Philippines. My favorite way of preparing Spam is to slice it as thinly as possible, pan fry it in olive oil, & serve it with steaming hot white rice–Filipinos will eat rice with mostly anything! Leftovers (if any) are made into fried rice just like yours. I buy Spam Lite now to delude myself into thinking it’s “healthier” but whatever, it’s still *yummilicious* & no one can ever convince me otherwise! No matter what animal parts are in it…LOL…what I don’t know won’t hurt me right?
Love the blog, Jaden. It always makes me hungry!
I recently tried to make Spam Cracklin’, and while mine didn’t look nearly as good as the ones pictured, they were still spamaliciously fantastic enough for me to try it again. (recipe here: http://chadzilla.typepad.com/chadzilla/2007/12/spam-cracklin.html)
Also, my girlfriend (from Hawaii) has sold me on Spam Musubi. A delightful snack!
Spam Musubi!!! That’s the way to go. However, due to the fact that I’m a wanna be healthy eater, Spam has not set foot in our house for a while. My wife does make a mean Spam Musubi.
What a coincident . My family was talking about spam the other day &
how I used to love eating spam when I was little (living in VN.) My dad just fried sliced spam a little bit and I ate it with small baguette . But for some reasons, I haven’t tried it again for years since I came to US.
I love Spam Kabobs. Alternate chunks of Spam and canned pineapple on wooden skewers (you could use fresh pineapple, of course, but it seems more appropriate to used canned). Grill Kabobs until the Spam and the Pineapple are striped with dark brown or black, and serve warm. MMMmmm-mmm-good!
We grew up on Spam. Some examples were same as previous comments: Fried Spam and eggs on sandwiches, Spam in fried rice, Spam in soupy macaroni, etc. But my latest memory of eating Spam is the following:
I recently bought six cans of different flavored Spam when it was on sale. Soon after, I was ill. When I was finally able to move and to down some food, of course, being Chinese, it was congee. Fried up some small cubed Tabasco flavored Spam, threw some into a bowl of the rice congee, add in some pickled cucumbers, and a few drops of seseme oil. Heaven on Earth after being foodless for a bunch of days. And got the food groups in too: carb., protein, and vegetable. What more can I ask for?
I second this, though I usually will have it with rice and eggs fried over easy.
Jaden, we’d love to see you at Spamarama this year. Come on down.
http://www.spamarama.com/
I haven’t had spam in over a decade but yes… I have eaten it. I think I liked it too… Should I be ashamed? lol Anyway, I would totally eat your spam fried rice.
The Spam contest may be over, but I will still submit my idea. I have not yet done so, but I always wanted to make a Spam Wellington, truffled foie gras, and all. It would surely be delicious
Mmmmmmm, I love Spam! I buy it 10 cans at a time from Sams Club. Growing up in Hawaii, I love Spam Musubi, Spam in fried rice, Spam eggs and rice for breakfast, and on somen salad. Fortunately my new husband who’s lived in Washington his whole life is able to appreciate my love of Asian cooking.
slice luncheon meat (spam) 50mm or thicker, dip into beaten egg, then corn starch, pan fry in olive oil til golden brown. it will still be juicy inside.
it makes anything taste so un-freaking-believably delicious, u can even eat ur old socks when it is sandwiched between a couple of em.
how could anyone not love tat. i guess only the sane. lol
Okay, fine, you win!
I just saw that Spam was on sale at my local grocery and I bought…two. One original, one bacon flavor (because is there anything in the universe that bacon does not improve? Anything??). And all because of you…
I grew up the youngest in a family of five in the military. Needless to say, we ate a lot of Spam. The one recipe I remember most from my mother was called “Baked Alaska”. Two cans of Spam covered in mustard and smothered in mashed potatoes. Then it was baked until the potato peaks were slightly browned. I haven’t been able to convince my family to eat Spam. They don’t know what they are missing!
fond childhood memories of having spam (or rather, the local equivalent thereof, a chinese brand called MaLing, comes in a round orange can) sliced thin and fried until semi-crispy, then eaten with tomato ketchup and rice. yummy!
subsequently became survival food in college. spam casserole. spam cubes, macaroni, cheese and green peas stirred together with an egg, nuked and eaten with mustard. my hostel mates thought it was a delicacy.
now still have spam occasionally, as a bacon replacement in fried rice just like your picture. i love using fish sauce in fried rice too, though prefer to go without the ginger but use onions instead.
I remember eating this as a kid – sliced spam sandwiched between slices of white bread. Dip into beaten egg and fried in butter. Yum!
Tr
Oui, je suis bien d’acccord..
I use Spam in fried rice, and in quiche. Also is tasty in bacon and egg pie (when I have run out of bacon). Use it in most recipes that call for Ham, Bacon, etc when I have run out of them, and I bring it into play when I feel like something without red meat and usually use one of my tried and true recipies or wll experement. No failures so far so that pleases me.
Have a tin or two of Spam in the store cupboard at all times as it is so useful.
If there are a few slices not unused for the meal then they come into their own for a supper snack on crackers with relish etc, that’s if I haven’t raided them slice by slice each time I open the fridge door for something.
I use Spam chopped in mac and cheese and on Pizza, hard to remember as I mainly make meals up as I go along. Main thing if for Spam not to go ‘achanging’ on us. Would be disapointing to say the least.
Am an ‘older’ cook so have known Spam for many years. Ann
I was born in Minnesota in 1937 so I have always had Spam in my life. When I was growing up during WWll, I remember my mother making an easy Spam supper for my brother and I. It consisted of cubed Spam, chopped hard boiled eggs, green peas, mushrooms and a tiny bit of pimento in homemade white sauce ( this was before condensed cream of mushroom soup). Mother served this over toast points. It was a delicious comfort food for us.
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