Check out this tin I picked up a little while ago:
It’s the limited edition, Spamalot themed tin of garlic Spam! The tin is an absolute riot, complete with Ye Olde English instructions on the side. Now what dish was going to showcase this baby to all its glory?
Immediately, I thought of a very simple preperation. Sliced and fried with a fried egg, all on white rice – it’s very similar to the kind of food you’d find in Hong Kong style cafes.
It looked awfully plain like this and so I sprinkled white pepper and drizzled sweet soy sauce (kecap manis) over it all (a la Mochachocolata-Rita). And it really hit the spot! The garlic wasn’t very strong but I did notice it was there.
Now don’t go turning your nose up at Spam – it’s not bad! I ate loads of it growing up and in our family, it was known as the rather innocent sounding luncheon meat. Usually it would turn up as part of our Sunday breakfast – crispy-edged fried slices accompanying a fried egg over easy. Sometimes we’d get Spam sandwiches as part of our packed lunch for school – again the fried slices but sandwiched between slices of white bread with a good schmear of sweet chili sauce. Sometimes I get cravings for these sandwiches!
It was only when I’d been in the UK for a few years before I got to try the infamous Spam fritter, that battered creation that fed a nation during the Second World War. I found it on the menu of a cafe in Shepherd’s Bush that looks like it hasn’t changed since the 1950’s. And I liked it! It was quite comforting, its salty meatiness pairing well with the bland mashed potatoes and boiled peas served on the side. And Spam is making a comeback now during the recession (though I’m not sure how swine flu has affected sales lately).
Anyway, Spam is great:
- sliced, fried, and put into sandwiches.
- in Spam musubi (though I’ve not tried it yet, but I can imagine it now!).
- in kimbap.
- on top of instant noodles.
- chopped up and cooked into fried rice.
- chopped up into omelettes.
- in fritters.
- sliced the other way and served like a square burger.
Right, that’s what I can think of off the top of my head – what can you add to this list?
Tamarind and Thyme 
Thu, 25 Jun, 2009 at 23:50
Spam is amazingly tasty paired with foie gras, hamburger, and rice in bling’d-out LOCO MOCO http://gastronomyblog.com/2009/05/05/animal-los-angeles/
Fri, 26 Jun, 2009 at 00:27
Where did you pick it up from? Loved luncheon meat, and spam since I came to UK.. would be nice to try some of this 😉
Fri, 26 Jun, 2009 at 01:43
It’s been so long since I’ve had spam, but this is one of the ways I enjoyed it as a kid. Looks great! Making me all nostalgic now. . .
Fri, 26 Jun, 2009 at 02:19
Oh yeah, SPAM has a lot of uses! =) I like them very thin and crispy, as opposed to thick, fat slices.
Fri, 26 Jun, 2009 at 02:23
mmm spam, hawaii’s favorite, love it fried with shoyu and some sugar (like a caramel sauce), eggs and some rice.
Fri, 26 Jun, 2009 at 06:28
oh wow!! love the Spamalot tin!!! watched the musical and loved it. Would really appreciate it if you could point me in the right direction of where I can get this special edition tins please!!
one of my mum’s old recipe was to cut the luncheon meat into cubes, fries them till crispy all round and mix in with baked beans and boiled small cubes of potatoes. sprinkle of pepper and/or chilli powder and its a yummy dish with or without rice. yum.
Fri, 26 Jun, 2009 at 07:42
I loved spam or luncheon meat in fried rice. It is my guilty pleasure!
Pei x
teanamu – The “eat drink tea” weblog
Fri, 26 Jun, 2009 at 08:22
I love spam – well done for championing it. In slices I prefer it over noodle soup, and fried with rice in chunks.
Fri, 26 Jun, 2009 at 09:48
Though I didn’t grow up eating Spam, in the same “don’t turn up your nose” way, I thought I’d share that my mom would use hot dogs in many of the same ways you’ve listed above: with noodle soups, fried rice, etc. I often wondered how she came up with the idea of using hot dogs in such ways.
Fri, 26 Jun, 2009 at 13:04
This has been my favourite post out of all your posts! 😛 The fried egg looks awesome too. My favourite way to eat SPAM as you would know is SPAM, egg and rice, or one of my fried rice variations with green beans. My late grandma used to make me SPAM fritters for breakfast sometimes, which she served with fried potato slices. It was a great breakfast before school.
Fri, 26 Jun, 2009 at 13:09
Love spam with fried rice or omelette!
Fri, 26 Jun, 2009 at 16:55
B****y Vikings!
Fri, 26 Jun, 2009 at 18:01
looks like a painting!
Fri, 26 Jun, 2009 at 20:55
I’m actually a fan of spam too. The only thing that freaks me out is when it suction-slurrrrps out of the tin. Weird.. but yum! 🙂
Sat, 27 Jun, 2009 at 15:56
You’ve totally just inspired me to try spam!
Sun, 28 Jun, 2009 at 10:52
Spam is excellent! I haven’t had it for years but it was a firm childhood favourite, particularly with ramen noodles. As I haven’t yet had breakfast, this is making my stomach rumble!
Sun, 28 Jun, 2009 at 16:58
sliced and sandwiched between sliced white bread, dunk both sides into beatened egg and then pan fried, both sides…childhood afterschool snack food
Mon, 29 Jun, 2009 at 06:16
Well, let’s see:
Spam risotto, chili con spam, spam rogan josh, spam kebabs, spam, spam eggs and spam …. 😀
Mon, 10 Aug, 2015 at 11:55
Do you have your recipe for Spam Risotto? My mum used to make it but her memory is failing now. All I remember is that it had peas and tomato soup in it.
Mon, 29 Jun, 2009 at 15:32
Yeah, love a bit of spam! Used to eat it all the time as a kid. I actually used to eat it just straight from the tin – yes, the whole tin. I am sick!
Mon, 29 Jun, 2009 at 19:14
what cool packaging, love that its a “collectors edition” too, seems daft to call food a collectors item
Mon, 29 Jun, 2009 at 22:46
Gastronomer, kat, ket, TFP, Liz, travelrat, Helen: Thanks for your suggestions – I’ve rounded them up in my latest post!
Jayna, ket, edwardkimuk: I found a pile of the tins in my local Netto, a budget/discount supermarket. I’m not sure where else would stock it.
js: Time to relive the memories? 🙂
ts: I hear ya! Though sometimes the thick slices are pretty good too…
Pei: We shouldn’t feel guilty for enjoying delicious Spam!
Lizzie: Go Spam!
An American in London: Uh…I’m a big fan of hot dogs too…
Pigpigscorner: Oh, I could do with some Spam fried rice right now…
Steve: The video I linked to in the next post is for you!
tastymealsathome: 😀 Thank you!
catty: Ahahahahah! Yeah, all the jelly keeps it in there!
Jen: Oh, do! If you think original is too salty (I sometimes do), go for Spam Lite.
Helen YLP: Yes, I definitely cannot forget the Spam (luncheon meat) from my childhood. A few years ago I had to relive it by having Spam sandwiches (I introduced a friend to Spam at the same time!) and I have it once a while now!
Wed, 1 Jul, 2009 at 13:40
This is a great post! More people should learn about the comforts and deliciousness of spam. It really isn’t that scary. I feel like it gets a bad rep for no reason.
Thu, 2 Jul, 2009 at 12:42
Great post Su-Lin. The tin is a riot, but you can keep what’s inside. Between the Underwood deviled ham and other various potted meat I had to eat as a child, I just can’t do Spam any more.
Fri, 3 Jul, 2009 at 04:23
like this post! I didn’t know spam is actually luncheon meat, the latter term is what I’m more familiar with. is it just me seeing a “face” on the omelette (3rd photo) hehe
Sun, 5 Jul, 2009 at 11:33
What that spam and eggs needs is a little sliced red chilli!
Mon, 6 Jul, 2009 at 21:42
Danny: Thank you, Danny! I’m not sure where the bad rep comes from – like a mystery meat scare?
Donald: Awww… but it’s so tasty! (never had Underwood ham though – does it come in one of those pear shapes tins?)
noobcook: Oh yeah, I grew up with luncheon meat… and it turned out that’s what Spam is! And YES, I now see the face too!
Foodycat: 😀 If I recall correctly, I think I had some chili sauce with this later.
Fri, 10 Jul, 2009 at 20:53
I love spam musubi! I even bought a musibi press on ebay from the US.
This is the best recipe I’ve found : http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2008/04/tutorial-how-to-make-hawaiian-spam-musubi-sushi.html
Fri, 30 Oct, 2009 at 08:03
wow! very hong kong! apart from the kecap manis, that made it very mochachocolatarita indeed ^_^
Sun, 16 May, 2010 at 17:54
[…] introduced me to one of her family’s favourite ways to eat it. Su-Lin serves up a classic SPAM, egg and rice, Sunflower makes some stonking Chinese pancakes and the Hawaiians are mad for SPAM […]
Thu, 27 May, 2010 at 00:11
[…] tin of limited edition garlic Spam, as seen in this post. It’s Monty Python […]
Sun, 24 Oct, 2010 at 12:26
[…] a banh mi with SPAM), presumably as it led Su-Lin to drizzle kecap manis (sweetened soy) over hers and Lizzie to make her SPAM ramen […]
Tue, 2 Nov, 2010 at 11:07
[…] rice for dinner and Spam and eggs came up again as a suitable topping (I have a whole other post on my love of Spam). Now, you’re probably thinking – gosh, how could I better that? (Or I suppose you […]
Sat, 19 Mar, 2011 at 00:29
[…] Week? I have no idea how these food weeks are allocated but this was one I could get behind. My love of Spam is well documented and I know I’m not the only one! The very kind people at Spam UK […]
Fri, 21 Nov, 2014 at 23:15
[…] a banh mi with SPAM), presumably as it led Su-Lin to drizzle kecap manis (sweetened soy) over hers and Lizzie to make her SPAM ramen […]
Sat, 22 Nov, 2014 at 10:21
[…] introduced me to one of her family’s favourite ways to eat it. Su-Lin serves up a classic SPAM, egg and rice, Sunflower makes some stonking Chinese pancakes and the Hawaiians are mad for SPAM […]