Skip to content
FriendsPantry

Meat · Cured & processed meats

Canned luncheon meat

Canned cooked pork loaf (like Spam); sliced and fried for musubi, budae-jjigae and breakfast plates.

Also called: spam, canned ham, luncheon meat, pork luncheon meat

Around the world: 스팸, spaem (ko)

A kind of pork

1 recipe with it

What it is

Canned luncheon meat is a smooth loaf of ground cooked pork (often with ham), salt, starch and curing salts, sealed in a tin. It is pink, firm and sliceable, and much saltier than ham. It became a staple in Hawaii, Korea, the Philippines and Pacific islands after the Second World War.

How it’s used

  • Spam musubi
  • Budae-jjigae (Korean army stew)
  • Fried slices with eggs and rice (silog)
  • Diced in fried rice and noodles
  • Sandwiches

Characteristics

Taste
Salty, savoury and mildly sweet.
Texture
Smooth and soft; crisp-edged when fried.
When cooked
Already cooked; fry slices in a dry pan until browned.
Sold as
canned
Cooking uses
Commonly cooked, Suitable for frying

Storage

Pantry-stable. Unopened tins keep in the cupboard; once opened, cover and refrigerate and use within a few days.

Diet, allergens and safety

No major allergens in typical versions.

  • Vegetarian
  • Vegan
  • Dairy-free
  • Egg-free
  • Gluten-free
  • Nut-free
  • Soy-free
  • Caffeine-free
  • Very high in salt; processed meat with nitrite curing salts.

Nutrition per 100 g

Energy
315 kcal
Protein
13.4 g
Carbohydrate
4.6 g
Fat
26.6 g
Fibre
0 g
Sugars
0 g

USDA FoodData Central: Luncheon meat, pork with ham, minced, canned, includes Spam (Hormel).

Substitutes

Optional — what works if you don’t have it, and how it changes the dish.

  • Ham — Thick slices of ham, fried; less salty.

Related ingredients

Recipes with canned luncheon meat

More cured & processed meats