Consider Spam

[lagatta]

I didn't put this article (and comments) about Spam in the abomination thread as while there is certainly much to abhor, spam could also be a lifesaver and inspires many memories, good and bad: www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2010/sep/28/consider-spam?showallcomments=true#end-of-comments

I haven't eaten it in years, as it isn't really cheaper any more than some real foods, but if I recall I rather liked the taste and odd, unreal texture.

[Deleted]

I don't mind Spam in small quantities. It is salty and spicy and there is meat in it, some sort of meat, so the first impression is that it tastes good, before you start tasting the chemicals and god knows what.

In fact, I bought a can of it not too long ago -- not the real stuff but the Dutch halal copy, Zwan. I'm not sure why. Old time's sake? Tastes exactly the same. A small can of small slices hit the spot. Maybe I'll buy it again in a year or two. The can was 0.99€.

[onlymark]

I've just taken this out of my cupboard to show you what we have here. Obviously ham is a no-no, so we have beef luncheon meat.
I don't often have it but when I do I cut a thick slice, batter it and then deep fry it - luncheon meat fritters.
Makes a nice accompaniment to chips (french fries) and (baked) beans.

[Deleted]

The Zwan comes in beef or chicken -- they taste identical.

[Deleted]

Is that "product of Brazil" that I am reading on the can?

[onlymark]

Yep, same as the corned beef we get here.

[joanne28]

I have a can of corned beef in the pantry, probably for sentimental value. My stepfather always insisted that I keep a tin in the house, in case of emergencies. What that emergency would consist of, I have no idea.

My mother would fry it up with potatoes cut into round slices, not chips. I remember that it was delicious. I must try it some day.

[Deleted]

And don't forget that these items are considered a delicacy in Southeast Asia.

[lagatta]

Yes, the original article and comments state that. Not just southeast Asia, but around the Pacific Rim.

Only Mark, in Amsterdam I had some quite decent halal poultry tinned wieners. Also 1€.

Those Zwan tins are very pretty.

[bixaorellana]

This was ringing a distant bell, so I did some research. Yes, Spam came up (<-- deliberate choice of words) once before in this forum.
anyportinastorm.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=discussion&thread=1633&page=1

[hwinpp]

Sept 28, 2010 17:27:26 GMT lagatta said:

...

I haven't eaten it in years, as it isn't really cheaper any more than some real foods, but if I recall I rather liked the taste and odd, unreal texture.

LOL!!!

I used to like it when I was small, it was so easy to eat.

Is breakfast ham (there's a famous Danish company that sells their stuff all over the world, forgotten the name) and corned beef considered spam?

[onlymark]

Corned beef and spam are two different things really.

The labeled ingredients in the classic variety of Spam are chopped pork shoulder meat with ham meat added, salt, water, modified potato starch as a binder, and sodium nitrite as a preservative.

On average, 3.8 cans are consumed every second in the United States.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spam_%28food%29

[Deleted]

Sept 29, 2010 9:22:49 GMT hwinpp said:

LOL!!!

I used to like it when I was small, it was so easy to eat.

Is breakfast ham (there's a famous Danish company that sells their stuff all over the world, forgotten the name) and corned beef considered spam?

That canned ham is 'Tulip' brand 90% of the time. They are not Spam but they are cousins of Spam.

They were also discussed in the other thread that Bixa found.

[hwinpp]

Thanks to both of you.

[Deleted]

I am feeling an overwhelming urge to go to my Turkish grocery store to buy some cans of Zwan, and it's all lagatta's fault for bringing the subject up!

[onlymark]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-12066768

[lagatta]

I'm also craving some Zwan. Bizarre, I usually eat "real" food. I have no idea why I'm craving that - perhaps a salt lick would do as well?

Here is a web page about cousins of Spam. spam.budwin.net/ Zwan also comes in turkey.

[Deleted]

Oh my. I had never heard of Zwan. I think I could have lived without it.

lagatta, have some chips.

[Deleted]

Ma Ling is also available here, but I can buy delicious Zwan just 3 metres from the front door of my building.

[lagatta]

I had completely forgotten that I'd bought some taramasalata, which is just as salty and has the same dayglo pink appearance, but no strange ingredients, especially no "mechanically extruded chicken goo". So no fake spam. As for real SPAM, I was taken aback by how expensive the crap is!

Kerouac, to think I was looking forward to the Vin en vrac place in your hood! Actually, in the neighbourhood where I stay in eastern Amsterdam, there is tonnes of ZWAN in Turkish, Moroccan and other shops in Dapperbuurt and Indischebuurt.