Spam

Spam is a brand of tinned, cooked luncheon meat made mainly from pork and ham, with salt, water, potato starch and sugar. It is sealed in the tin and cooked during processing, so it is ready to eat.

Yes. It is already cooked, so you can slice it and eat it cold; frying or grilling it is for a browned, savoury crust, not to make it safe.

Slice it about 5 mm thick and fry in a dry non-stick pan over medium heat for 2–3 minutes on each side, until golden. The meat releases fat as it cooks, so extra oil is usually unnecessary.

Transfer unused Spam to a covered food container and refrigerate it promptly; use it within 3–4 days. Don’t keep it in the opened tin, and freeze portions if you need to store them longer.

Fry slices for a sandwich, or dice them into fried rice, noodles or an omelette. Spam musubi pairs a fried slice with rice and nori; it is especially associated with Hawaii.

For a similar salty, firm slice, use another cooked luncheon meat or thick-cut ham. For fried rice, diced cooked ham or leftover roast pork works well, though it will not have quite the same texture or seasoning.

A 100 g portion provides 14 g of protein, alongside 26 g of fat. It is best treated as a rich, salty meat rather than as a lean protein choice.