There’s a new flavor of SPAM out on the shelves: Korean BBQ SPAM. As someone who had both the pleasure and misfortune of ranking the best canned hams a few months ago, I couldn’t wait to review this new Korean SPAM flavor and give my two cents. How will it measure up against other new SPAM flavors we’ve tried in recent years (like Maple SPAM)? Let’s find out.
Once upon a time, I (briefly) dated a grandson of SPAM’s founder. Guess what his first name was? Sam. That’s right. Sam, the heir to the SPAM empire. That’s some Ariana lore for you. I know what you’re thinking: Does this girl love SPAM so much that she sought out the progenitor’s descendants in an effort to obtain a lifetime supply?! Well, yeah. Obviously. And my plan would have worked, too, if not for you meddling kids!
Anyways. I love SPAM. Emphasis on the “P.” I’m also a huge Korean BBQ fan, as my poor, poor wallet can attest. (Korean BBQ here in Los Angeles can be expensive, y’all.) Needless to say, I went into this with high hopes and a healthy amount of trepidation. So without further ado, let’s get into it.
- SPAM Korean BBQ Flavored
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I tried this Korean BBQ SPAM flavor straight out the can, room temp, like a heathen—and then fried up a few slices in a pan. And you know what? It was, overall, the best 15 minutes of my eight-hour workday. Obviously, this isn’t a substitute for your $50 BBQ dinner at an authentic Korean restaurant, but as far as new SPAM flavors are concerned, it’s darn tasty. And I will be using it to make musubi, without a doubt.
Pros: The flavor combines soy sauce, gochujang, and ginger to create a deeply savory, slightly sweet luncheon meat that’s absolutely delicious. When seared, the umami flavor has so much depth—it’s stronger here than any other SPAM products I’ve tried. Yet, somehow, this doesn’t taste as blatantly salty as other flavors of SPAM. (I compared ingredients, and Korean BBQ SPAM does have less sodium than traditional SPAM.) You might miss it at first, but this also has a mild heat going for it that really comes through over time and balances the sweetness.
Cons: The texture is a little softer than typical SPAM—my fork cut through the meat like butter. I personally don’t mind, but the sponginess might be a concern for anyone substituting this new SPAM flavor for the standard one in recipes. So if you’re a big texture person, just keep that in mind!
Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart
