Few foods spark as many strong feelings as SPAM does. For some, the salty, savory canned meat product is a symbol of overly processed food that’s best left in the past. But for many across the world, spanning from Hawaii to East Asia and the Pacific, it's a quintessential comfort food, woven into everyday life.SPAM, which is made by Hormel Foods, has been around since 1937, and first earned its worldwide fame during World War II. Getting fresh meat to the frontlines for U.S. soldiers was tough, and that's when the shelf-stable protein saved the day. According to Hormel, since then, more than eight billion cans have been sold in more than 44 countries. In the past few years, SPAM has been enjoying a comeback as food culture embraces modern twists on retro products. Not only has it been trending on TikTok, but it has also made its way onto restaurant menus, including Syko in Brooklyn, Kora in Queens, Mari Mari and Manong in Philadelphia and Kine Musubi in Manhattan, which specialize in SPAM musubi, a popular Hawaiian snack.SPAM has a way of sticking around, especially during economic downturns. The rising costs of groceries have made this pantry staple all the more appealing, and home cooks have been experimenting with it in various recipes.However, its staying power is more than about affordability. The love for SPAM crosses generations and cultures, keeping it relevant for many cooks and eaters. To find out everything you need to know, from the history and cultural context to how to cook SPAM at home, Parade spoke to Kiki Aranita, a Hawaiian-raised chef and food writer and the owner of Poi Dog Sauces.Related: The ‘Best’ Spam Flavor Has Been Spotted at Costco: ‘Great for Breakfast’?? SIGN UP to get delicious recipes, handy kitchen hacks & more in our daily Parade Eats newsletter. ??
What Is SPAM and What Does It Taste Like?
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SPAM is a fully cooked luncheon meat that's packaged in a can, according to the USDA. People believe SPAM to be an abbreviation, but nobody has agreed on exactly what it stands for. The most common explanation is that the letters “SP” come from “spiced” and the “AM” comes from ham. Even the official SPAM website can't explain the name. If you dig into the FAQs, you'll find this: "The real answer is known by only a small circle of former Hormel Foods executives. And probably Nostradamus."What we can confirm is that the canned meat is produced by Hormel Foods, and contains six ingredients: pork with ham, salt, water, potato starch, sugar and sodium nitrite. It has a lightly spiced, very savory pork flavor and a ham or bologna-like texture.Related: This One Ingredient Makes a Ham and Cheese Sandwich 10x Better
How To Cook SPAM the Right Way, According to a Chef
When it comes to preparation, Aranita has a nonnegotiable step. “You MUST sear it,” she says emphatically. Searing SPAM creates a crispy exterior and renders some of its fat, which adds some contrast to its pâté-like texture. The great thing about SPAM is that making it isn't complicated.
While marinades aren’t essential, one of the ways Aranita likes to prepare it is to marinate it in shoyu (soy sauce) and sugar first, along with ginger and garlic. As the owner of Poi Dog Sauces, she also makes two sauces—huli and guava katsu—that she says are both delicious with SPAM.
To cook SPAM, all you have to do is slice it thinly and sear it in a nonstick pan over medium-high heat until it's golden brown. Cooking it this way will temper the saltiness and add a nice textural contrast between the crispy exterior and the tender interior.
Courtesy Namrata Hegde
I whipped up some SPAM based on Aranita's advice, and it was savory and salty and had a nice textural balance. The caramelized flavor that searing created was a delicious counterpoint to the saltiness. Plus, the method couldn't be easier.
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SPAM can be used in a variety of different ways in all cuisines, from fried rice to katsu sandwiches to tacos. But, Aranita likes to stick to the classics when it comes to SPAM. As a Hawaiian, she adores the iconic SPAM musubi.
“It’s more complex to make in a restaurant setting, but when I’m at home and just making one for myself, I simply take a sheet of nori, put a few tablespoons of short grain white rice on it and top it with a perfectly seared SPAM slice before wrapping it like a burrito,” she explains.
Another dish she loves to make is SPAM, eggs, rice and macaroni salad. It's quick to prepare, especially if you buy store-bought macaroni salad, although she does have a great recipe of her own. SPAM is sliced into nine perfect slices (more on that below) and seared, the eggs are scrambled and the rice is made. Then, she arranges two SPAM slices per portion on a plate along with the eggs, rice and macaroni salad before garnishing with furikake.
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Tips and Tricks for Cooking With SPAM
Precision is one of Aranita’s most important tips for cooking with SPAM. “It must be sliced into nine slices per can,” she says, “Anything but nine slices is unacceptable.” Why does she insist on such a specific number? That number of slices will create the perfect crust-to-meat ratio, she says.
If you eat a lot of SPAM or are a gadget enthusiast, you can buy a SPAM slicer specifically for this task, or you can cut the canned meat with a knife. For the perfect nine-slice thickness, you'll want to aim for 1/4-inch pieces.
Some cooks recommend soaking SPAM in water or poaching it to reduce the salt content, but Aranita doesn't find that necessary. “I think people are overthinking SPAM. Reduced-sodium versions are available on the market that will do the trick,” she shares.
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“SPAM is a Hawaii pantry staple, brought to the islands by American GIs,” Aranita tells Parade. By the end of World War II, the canned meat worked its way into the local food culture. Today, you'll find it in local home cooking, on restaurant menus and in convenience stores and gas stations.
SPAM has also conquered other shores throughout East Asia and the Pacific. “People love it because it is delicious when prepared properly, evokes nostalgia and is ubiquitous in places where I come from, Hawaii and Hong Kong,” Aranita explains.
Related: Pack Your Bags—Top 10 Things to Do in Hawaii's Green Island, Kaua’i
What Do People Misunderstand About SPAM?
“SPAM’s reputation depends heavily on geography and on who the people are,” Aranita shares. “It’s deeply loved in both my home islands of Hong Kong and Hawaii.” That perspective shifted when she moved to the mainland United States. “It was only when I came to the mainland that I realized it had a bad rap,” she says. The reason, in Aranita's view, is simple: “People are eating it wrong.”
“America also has a negative relationship with canned meat in general,” she says. But with the rise of tinned fish and SPAM as of late, she thinks that people are more open to these products.
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