Week Two – Spam

I haven’t eaten Spam before – Mainly due to the fact that it is no longer World War Two – but seeing as I was attempting to eat something new each week, now seemed as good a time as any to give it a go…

Another reason for never eating it before is that it just doesn’t sound overly appetizing.  The thought of ham in a can just doesn’t seem to stir any sort of tingles in my taste buds or cause any kind of ‘hmmm, I really want to eat that canned ham’ noises to emanate from within.  Not sure why.

Spam Facts Interlude

• Spam is short for spiced ham
• Spam is popular throughout the world and there are apparently more than ten different Spam products on the market – Including a spreadable and a jalapeno version.
• Monty Python’s Knights of the Round Table ate ham and jam and Spam a lot…  But possibly not as frequently as the population of Guam – Who, on average, eat the most per head (16 cans) globally per year.
• Um… That’s about it.

Being particularly unadventurous, I decided to start my potential Spam odyssey with the ‘Chopped Pork & Ham’ version – also known as ‘Spam Classic’.  I felt it important to start with the product that started it all…  Well, the supermarket decided this for me by only having this on the shelf.

I had great difficulty opening the can – Being a typical male, I initially neglected to read the instructions that covered the entire reverse side of the can.

On gaining access, I was greeted with the sight of something resembling dog food.  I cut it into slices and ate a bit – After all, that’s what this whole eating things fiasco is all about.

 

It tasted like ham.  Really salty ham.  Not unpleasant, but not pleasant either.  It had a damp, chewy texture and, for some reason, was quite moreish.  Because of the strange moreish-ness, and the fact I still had pretty much a whole can left, I felt obliged to use my culinary skills to rustle-up a couple of Spam dishes: –

Spam Sandwich (with Cress Garnish)

Spam and Cheese Canapés

I intend to eat my leftover Spam sandwiches for lunch at work tomorrow, but after that, I may give it a miss for a while.

And there we have it…  I had survived Week Two (not that this was ever in doubt).

Watch this space for the next installment, where I will try to find something more interesting to eat, I promise.

Obviously, if anyone has any suggestions, please do let me know…