Spam (The "Food")

[Chainsaw Hobbit]

I have never tried Spam. Due to various allergies, I will never be able to try it.

As a natural born scholar, I am always seeking out new experiences. I would like few things more than to be able to once try spam; not because I think it would be good, but because it is so infamously awful. I want to experience it firsthand.

Instead, I will have to rely on the helpfulness of others. What is spam like? How does it taste? What is the texture like? I would appreciate it if someone were to really describe the Spam experience in as much detail as possible.

[TheCountAlucard]

Once in a great while, I'll get cans of the Bacon variety and grill them. It's very definitely not bacon, but the taste is still something I occasionally crave.

[Grinner]

It's a paste of meat by-product.

Take a bunch of hotdogs and run them through a meat grinder. That's basically what spam is.

[Ravens_cry]

I rather like canned corned mutton (basically sheep Spam) sandwiches with slices of tomato and a squirt of Dijon mustard. I don't think I have ever knowingly eaten the real deal though.

[Starwulf]

It's a paste of meat by-product.

Take a bunch of hotdogs and run them through a meat grinder. That's basically what spam is.

Hmm. wouldn't it be more like Vienna Sausages run through the grinder? That's much closer to the taste I'd think

[Grinner]

Hmm. wouldn't it be more like Vienna Sausages run through the grinder? That's much closer to the taste I'd think

Maybe. I don't think I've ever had Vienna sausages. :smallconfused:

[Chainsaw Hobbit]

So ... just mushy sausage paste?

[Worira]

Salty hampork.

[Chainsaw Hobbit]

There HAS to be something more to it! Its so infamous!

[ShadowFireLance]

It's Hell on earth when that's the only thing you can eat for 5 Days straight. :smallfrown:
Trust me.

You.

Don't.

Want.

To.

Eat.

It.

[Talanic]

Part of the infamy is that soldiers were issued the stuff as rations either during or immediately after the second world war.

Meat.

In a can.

Provided by the military. With a name on the can that didn't clearly indicate what animal - if any - it came from.

The texture makes it clear that this stuff didn't come directly from an animal, either. It feels like hot dog texture, but has a gel coating on the outside which may or may not dissolve when it's heated. And when we tell you that it's salty, you need to understand this - in a 100 gram serving, there are 1360 mg of salt. That's more salt than in a big mac, which is over twice the mass (216 g). It's over 1% salt by mass, which might not mean much to you but should if you've ever added salt to water and observed how the flavor quickly overpowers anything else.

Soldiers always complain about the chow, especially if they don't get much variety, and there's so much that's simply odd (if not directly unappetizing) about spam that it's a natural target. I tried a couple cans to learn about it and no longer eat it because it's so overwhelmingly salty.

[Starwulf]

Part of the infamy is that soldiers were issued the stuff as rations either during or immediately after the second world war.

Meat.

In a can.

Provided by the military. With a name on the can that didn't clearly indicate what animal - if any - it came from.

The texture makes it clear that this stuff didn't come directly from an animal, either. It feels like hot dog texture, but has a gel coating on the outside which may or may not dissolve when it's heated.

A reason I'm glad my stint in the military was during modern times(well, mostly. `99). I LOVED almost all the MREs we were given, especially Chili-Mac. I'd often trade my sweet stuff for the Jalapeno Cheese packet so I could mix it into my Chili-Mac. Man that was one hell of a flavor combo. The only one I didn't like was the Tuna Casserole one. Bleck. Sadly, at least among my unit, if you got that one, you were screwed. Nobody would trade you, you were stuck with it. But if you got Chili-Mac or the BBQ Pork one(I can't remember actual name, it's been a while), you could literally name your price for it.

As for the texture, AGAIN, Vienna sausages. They have that SAME gelatin covering. Don't ever let a can get even remotely close to it's expiration date, or you won't even want to eat them at all, because the whole top of the can will have formed a covering of that gelatinous crap, and each sausage itself is caked in it.

[Ravens_cry]

Interestingly enough, in many areas of the Pacific where American troops were during World War 2, Spam has become part of the indigenous cuisine. The Philippines especially.

[Howler Dagger]

There HAS to be something more to it! Its so infamous!

I think this (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anwy2MPT5RE) is why it is so infamous.

[Ravens_cry]

I think this (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anwy2MPT5RE) is why it is so infamous.
It wasn't exactly considered hauteur cuisine before this. This may be the inspiration for calling bulk electronic mail outs 'spam' however.

[Aedilred]

I can't say I'm the world's biggest fan of spam (but then who, save drunk Vikings, is?) but it's not historically awful food. Rather, it's the inoffensive blandness, the refusal to aspire to anything more than the mildest olfactory mediocrity, the complete absence of anything resembling flavour sensation or texture, that gives it is reputation. Once in a while, it's fine, although there's still not much reason to eat it. As a staple of the diet, it would be infuriating.

As with other rationing/postwar foods that are still with us, like Fray Bentos pies, bubble and squeak, etc. it's not actually that bad when assessed objectively, it's just something we've largely moved on from.

[Brother Oni]

A reason I'm glad my stint in the military was during modern times(well, mostly. `99). I LOVED almost all the MREs we were given, especially Chili-Mac.

Really? I was under the impression that American MREs were almost universally disliked by soldiers.

I know British ration packs were quite popular trading items in Iraq and Afghanistan, but even British personnel can get sick of them (I was talking to an Army medic who spend 20-odd days in Sierra Leone on the same rat pack - he was really glad to get back to the UK).


Interestingly enough, in many areas of the Pacific where American troops were during World War 2, Spam has become part of the indigenous cuisine. The Philippines especially.

I know during WW2, the Russians considered it the most important item the Allies provided.

In South Korea, spam is considered a delicacy to the point they make quite formal gift hampers to be given on special occasions and holidays.
Needless to say, they don't quite understand why we find it so funny.

[Starwulf]

Really? I was under the impression that American MREs were almost universally disliked by soldiers.

I know British ration packs were quite popular trading items in Iraq and Afghanistan, but even British personnel can get sick of them (I was talking to an Army medic who spend 20-odd days in Sierra Leone on the same rat pack - he was really glad to get back to the UK).


That was definitely the case when my dad was in the military(Vietnam), but not the case when I was in the military. MREs weren't exactly gourmet, but they were pretty decent, certainly more then just nutrition(ie: actually had flavor). It's been a loooonngg time, so I can't say I particularly remember what all the different types were, but I do remember there weren't very many that I didn't enjoy(again, Tuna Casserole!, bleck), but I can definitely remember at least three that I did: BBQ Pork, Chili-Mac, and Chicken & Rice.

[warty goblin]

Spam is actually reasonably decent when cooked up right. Eating it straight out of the can sounds fairly unpleasant, but if you fry it up with onions and peppers and cheese it makes a credible sort of Philly cheese steak on a budget. It wouldn't be my favorite way to eat meat by any means, but I've honestly had worse preparations.

[Sylthia]

SPAM is like Bologna Jello.

[Jimorian]

It wasn't exactly considered hauteur cuisine before this. This may be the inspiration for calling bulk electronic mail outs 'spam' however.

I went to http://www.spam.com/ to see if I could find a statement they used to have about internet spam (they were ok with people calling it spam as long as they used lowercase letters instead of the brand name's all upper case letters), but I couldn't find it there. There is a lot of other history/info that's pretty interesting, however.

I also want to say that I find the fact that you scroll UP on their mainpage for more stuff instead of down one very neat piece of web design. While probably not unique, it's the very first time I've run across it.

[Avilan the Grey]

Hmm. wouldn't it be more like Vienna Sausages run through the grinder? That's much closer to the taste I'd think

Never had spam, but from the description it sounds like the Vienna sausages would be too high quality meat.

[razark]

Really? I was under the impression that American MREs were almost universally disliked by soldiers.
When you eat the same thing repeatedly, it tends to get old.

My experience with it was after Hurricane Ike. We were without power for a while, and the National Guard was distributing MREs by the case (along with bottled water). Not too bad when it was all you could get that wasn't spoiled, but after a couple days of tortellini (or Spicy Penne Pasta w/ Vegetarian Sausage) and water, you start to crave something (anything) else.

[Brother Oni]

When you eat the same thing repeatedly, it tends to get old.

Oh, I'm fully aware that it does (I reckon I still have a couple packs of Biscuits, Brown kicking around somewhere), but American MREs had a reputation preceding them: Meals Rejected by Enemy was a common nickname for them.

[t209]

But I actually like Spam, it's like mushy and salty ham (if you cook it over pan but I never tried another way to consume it).

[Lady Tialait]

Spam is kind of a staple for me. Fried strips of it mixed in with some noodles and veggies. I don't have to worry about salting the meal, and it adds protean.

The taste of Spam once it's properly fried is crunchy salty nuggets of ham. Very tasty once you mix it with stuff that needs the salt. Almost like the poor man's bacon bits.

[Giggling Ghast]

My dad loved spam. I could never fathom why. It's clammy and tastes like a cross between ham and warm piss. You need to fry it to make it halfway edible.

[Blackmoor]

You can't have Spam/Bacon/Egg/Sausage without the spam!

[Avilan the Grey]

Choir (intervening):
Spam! Spam! Spam! Spam!
Lovely spam! Wonderful spam!
Spam spa-a-a-a-a-am spam spa-a-a-a-a-am spam.
Lovely spam! Lovely spam! Lovely spam! Lovely spam!
Spam spam spam spam!

[Temotei]

Huh. Sounds like most people would hate my diet, which consists of eating the same thing repeatedly for days on end.

There was this one month when all I had was peanut butter and grape jelly sandwiches with the crust cut off for every meal. I was little then, but I still do that for weeks at a time when I'm not at home.

[Dihan]

Spam mixed in with some herbs, diced onion and mashed potato makes some pretty nice sausage rolls.

[Vizzerdrix]

.
Instead, I will have to rely on the helpfulness of others. What is spam like? How does it taste? What is the texture like? I would appreciate it if someone were to really describe the Spam experience in as much detail as possible.

I have ate much of the Spiced Ham in my time. I'll do my best.

Before you sits a can containing a single solid chunk of meat byproduct. You would be able to shake it out in a similar fashion to jellied cranberry sauce. Their is a bit of "goo" on the spam. This is safe to consume even if it feels like frog eggs and is salty with a hint of the flavor of the spam.

The meat cube itself is firm and gives about as much resistance as a slightly undercooked potato. This allows for it to be sliced, cubed or mashed. Or even to have a Popsicle stick shoved into it.

The texture isn't unpleasant. It has the consistency of some sandwich meats. I want to say it resides someplace between bologna and a pepperoni stick in texture.

The flavor is the key portion. it is a mix of ham, salt, spices, and tin. Yes, it has a tin like flavor. Most noticeable towards the end of the mouthful. (The tin flavor is slightly more pronounced after pan frying). The flavor is best tempered with condiments or by cooking the spam into a dish.

If I had to sum up the flavor for you it would be this. Suck a salty penny while you eat fried bologna and sniff a freshly opened can of spam. That should be very close to experiencing the flavor. It is a meat that you either love or hate. I was raised on it and prefer it over hot dogs or hamburgers, but many people don't like potted meats.

[Worira]

Surely if he has a freshly opened can of spam at hand, there's a slightly more direct method of experiencing the flavour of spam available to him.

[razark]

Surely if he has a freshly opened can of spam at hand, there's a slightly more direct method of experiencing the flavour of spam available to him.
Thus spoke the OP:

I have never tried Spam. Due to various allergies, I will never be able to try it.
So, there is a more direct method, but it's not one the OP can use (without difficulty).

[TheThan]

A reason I'm glad my stint in the military was during modern times(well, mostly. `99). I LOVED almost all the MREs we were given, especially Chili-Mac. I'd often trade my sweet stuff for the Jalapeno Cheese packet so I could mix it into my Chili-Mac. Man that was one hell of a flavor combo. The only one I didn't like was the Tuna Casserole one. Bleck. Sadly, at least among my unit, if you got that one, you were screwed. Nobody would trade you, you were stuck with it. But if you got Chili-Mac or the BBQ Pork one(I can't remember actual name, it's been a while), you could literally name your price for it.

As for the texture, AGAIN, Vienna sausages. They have that SAME gelatin covering. Don't ever let a can get even remotely close to it's expiration date, or you won't even want to eat them at all, because the whole top of the can will have formed a covering of that gelatinous crap, and each sausage itself is caked in it.

I’ve got a buddy that did a stint in the army and he said the same things about those MREs. Good, if you avoid two or three of them.

Now the thing about spam, is that you gotta know how to cook it. just eating it out of the can is… well… not good. For instance if you dice it up and cook it with some scrambled eggs, it’s not bad. Now keep in mind this stuff has an insane amount of salt (probably for preservative reasons) so you don’t really need to season anything you cook it with, at least not with salt.
Also Vienna Sausages are FAR worse than spam.

[ShadowFireLance]

oh. Oh. Oh Good Queen Tiamat.
I just had a dare with my friend involving spam.
We made a bet on who could eat the most Spam.
I'm going to go throw up after the 19th slice of it.
Worst part was, I can't breathe very well, all because the final dare was to pour out a shaker of salt on the thing.
I'm going to go die now.

[Talanic]

Uhm, salt overdoses can indeed kill you. I don't know how much you actually ate, but you might want to seek medical attention.

The "LD50" (median lethal dose) of salt is 3 grams per kg of body weight. In imperial measurements, about half a pound could seriously harm a two hundred pound human. I really, really hope that your salt shaker had far less than half a pound in it, partly for your sake and partly because the very concept of people buying salt shakers with half a pound of salt in them makes me sad.

[Ravens_cry]

How many cans is 19 slices? Combined with the salt shaker, that indeed could be enough to do a body harm.

[Talanic]

If he's actually doing appropriate size slices (one serving) that's about 1.3 grams each, resulting in about 25 grams of salt.

[ShadowFireLance]

Uhm, salt overdoses can indeed kill you. I don't know how much you actually ate, but you might want to seek medical attention.

The "LD50" (median lethal dose) of salt is 3 grams per kg of body weight. In imperial measurements, about half a pound could seriously harm a two hundred pound human. I really, really hope that your salt shaker had far less than half a pound in it, partly for your sake and partly because the very concept of people buying salt shakers with half a pound of salt in them makes me sad.


How many cans is 19 slices? Combined with the salt shaker, that indeed could be enough to do a body harm.


If he's actually doing appropriate size slices (one serving) that's about 1.3 grams each, resulting in about 25 grams of salt.

Don't worry guys, I'm fine. I've done stuff like that before and it's never messed with me, so I doubt this will.
*This happened sometime around noon, and it's roughly 2 Am now.
So thanks for the concern, but i think I'm fine. :smallbiggrin:

[Brother Oni]

The "LD50" (median lethal dose) of salt is 3 grams per kg of body weight. In imperial measurements, about half a pound could seriously harm a two hundred pound human.

Well for rats anyway. Bear in mind that humans can vomit, so any potentially lethal dose can be evacuated before absorption.


Don't worry guys, I'm fine. I've done stuff like that before and it's never messed with me, so I doubt this will.

Just try not to do it too often. Your kidneys will thank you for it.