I just listened to an interesting clip on NPR about a guy who bought SPAM for his wife because it was cheaper than bacon. She was not amused but tried it. The only good thing she could say about it was that it was salty.
It got me thinking that I’ve never eaten or tasted it but there must be a buttload of people who do because I always see it at the store, right? My dad ate it but I think it was his frugality - but maybe he liked it.
So tell me about SPAM:
Are there any regular SPAM eaters here? Do you eat it for the taste or price?
How do you eat it? Does it come ‘cooked’, i.e. ready to eat?
Has anyone tried it but hated it?
Post your SPAM stories.
I might pick up some and try it. BTW, what is SPAM?
I think it stands for spiced ham. I never buy it but my husband has on occasion. Straight outa the can it tastes like the cheap lunchmeat chopped ham, but if you fry it in Worcestershire sauce until crisp, it’s actually quite yummy.
Last question first: SPAM is pork shoulder and ham. Nothing to be afraid of. It is cooked, and ready to eat out of the tin.
I grew up with SPAM. I don’t eat it regularly, but I do keep it in the cupboard and eat it occasionally. I eat it for the taste; I haven’t noticed the price.
How do I eat it?
[ul][li]SPAM salad sandwiches. Just like ham salad, only made with SPAM that’s been ground with a meat grinder. Best on soft white bread.[/li][li]SPAM sandwiches. Slices of SPAM, white bread, yellow mustard, and Miracle Whip. (Yes, yes. I know…)[/li][li]Mac’n’cheese with SPAM[/li][li]Fried SPAM and eggs (if I’m out of bacon)[/li][li]SPAM musubi. This is really, really good – and one reason I keep nori in the house.[/ul][/li].
Spam is spiced ham.
I have tried it and do not think it qualifies as food.
My husband, on the other hand, loves the stuff. He slices it thin and frys it until the edges are slightly crisp and eats it with eggs as a breakfast food.
oooh!
Fried Spam is really good. Slice about 1/8-1/4" thick. Put it in a hot frying pan; no need for oil. Fry on both sides to desired crispness. Eat hot.
Or, cut the Spam up into little chunks and scramble it with eggs.
Or, go to your local Hawaiian restaurant and get Spam Musubi. AWESOME FOOD.
SPAM is edible. Not particularly tasty, but maybe a step above Vienna sausages. Think you can eat it right out of the can, but it’s got thick nasty looking grease on it. If you heat it up, it gets a little better. Vaguely pork-like tasting. Think it’s made out of the parts of a pig that aren’t really good for anything else. It’ll do for what AD&D players might call “Iron Rations”–stuff that will keep approximately forever, and will prevent starvation.
Yeah, I don’t hate it. I haven’t had it in years, but I used to fry it up and add it to fried potatoes.
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Ummm… thanks Tapioca Dextrin, I’ll add that to the recipe file. 
I can and do occasionally eat Vienna sausages so there is hope. I’m seeing how it might work with potatoes.
Johnny, could you expound on this a bit. Is SPAM musubi a separate product? How do you use it with nori. Also, thanks for the link.
SPAM musubi is basically SPAM sushi, only with vinegar in the rice. There are musubi forms for the rice, but I use a SPAM tin with the bottom cut out. (I asked how to cut the bottom off here.)
Make rice and add some rice vinegar to it.
Slice the SPAM into 8 slices.
Mix some sugar and soy sauce – adjust to taste.
Fry the SPAM and glaze with the soy sauce mixture. Fry to caramelize it.
Compress the rice into the form (SPAM tin or other) so it’s about 1-1/2" thick.
Smear a little wasabi onto the rice, if desired.
Top with a slice of the fried SPAM.
Wrap with nori. I use a thin wrap, about 1-1/2" wide.
Drizzle a little teriyaki or soy sauce mixture on top.
Eat and enjoy.
EDIT: Beaten by Maggie!
You beat me again!
I was going to post a link to a recipe. But now I don’t have to. 
I like SPAM. Fried with eggs, diced in an omelet, as musubi…it’s all good. We always have a few cans in the back of the pantry for emergencies. The only problem I’ve found with SPAM is that it tends to give me rather intense flatulence. So eating it on a camping trip is contraindicated.
When I was a kid my mom used to make a SPAM, beans, and rice dish, with soy sauce or some such included in it. It was very good, but I haven’t had it in ages. I think she picked it up from living one summer in Hawaii when she was in college.
Emergency SPAM. Always have it. I have emergency SPAM in case I run out of SPAM.
Spam is edible right out of the can, but it’s vastly improved by some doctoring. Even just thinly slicing it and frying it will make it taste a lot better. I’d much rather have real ham, but Spam will sit nicely in a pantry, as an emergency food in case of a power outage or if the roads are blocked by snow or ice. You can also take a can or two of Spam when you go camping and not have to worry about keeping it cold until you open the can.
And the Johnny/Maggie race to better the SPAM eating world rages on!
Seriously guys, thanks for the links.
