Spiced ham and spam are two types of processed meat products that have some similarities but also some key differences. In this article, we’ll look at how spiced ham and spam are made, what ingredients they contain, how they taste, and whether or not they can be used interchangeably in recipes.
What is Spiced Ham?
Spiced ham is a type of cured and smoked ham that has been seasoned with spices. It’s made from pork leg or shoulder that has been brined, smoked, and coated with spices like cloves, allspice, nutmeg, ginger, mustard seed, black pepper, and others.
The smoking and curing process gives spiced ham a distinctive smoky, salty, and slightly sweet flavor. The added spices complement these flavors and give spiced ham its characteristic warming, aromatic taste.
Spiced ham is sold pre-cooked, either whole or sliced. It’s ready to eat right out of the package, often served cold in sandwiches and salads or warm in breakfast dishes. Popular brands of spiced ham include Smithfield and Cook’s.
What is Spam?
Spam is a popular brand name for a type of canned precooked meat product made by Hormel Foods Corporation. It was first introduced in 1937.
The original Spam recipe contains chopped pork shoulder meat along with ham, salt, water, potato starch, sugar, and sodium nitrite. The ingredients are ground, shaped into a block, cooked, and sealed into cans.
Other versions of Spam now exist, including lower sodium options. But all Spam has a distinctive salty, umami, pork-like taste due to its mixture of ham and pork.
Spam is sold pre-cooked in cans and is shelf-stable. It’s most often pan-fried and served as a sandwich meat or breakfast meat. It’s especially popular in Hawaii, Guam, and other parts of the Pacific.
Ingredients
While both spiced ham and Spam contain pork meat and salt, they differ significantly in their other ingredients:
| Spiced Ham | Spam |
|---|---|
| Pork leg or shoulder | Chopped pork shoulder and ham |
| Salt | Salt |
| Sugar | Sugar |
| Sodium nitrite | Sodium nitrite |
| Smoked | Not smoked |
| Spices like cloves, allspice, nutmeg, ginger, mustard seed, black pepper | No added spices |
| No potato starch | Potato starch |
As you can see, while spiced ham and Spam both contain pork and salt, spiced ham has added spices for flavor. Spam contains potato starch as a binder and is not smoked like spiced ham.
Flavor and Texture
Because of the differences in ingredients and processing, spiced ham and Spam have distinct flavors and textures:
Spiced Ham
– Smoky, salty, sweet
– Warming spice flavors like clove, nutmeg, allspice
– Soft, tender texture yet slices cleanly
Spam
– Salty, umami pork meat taste
– No spices, more straightforward meaty flavor
– Firm, dense, slightly rubbery texture
So while spiced ham tends to be more complexly flavored and tender, Spam has a simpler salty pork meat taste and a firm, dense texture.
Sodium Content
Both spiced ham and Spam are considered high sodium foods. However, there is some variation in sodium content:
– Spiced ham contains about 800-900 mg sodium per 100g
– Regular Spam contains about 1550 mg sodium per 100g
– Lower sodium Spam contains about 580 mg sodium per 100g
So regular Spam contains significantly more sodium than spiced ham. Lower sodium Spam options bring the sodium content down closer to that of spiced ham.
Nutrition
| Nutrient | Spiced Ham | Spam |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 195 per 100g | 340 per 100g |
| Total Fat | 13g per 100g | 29g per 100g |
| Carbs | 1.5g per 100g | 2g per 100g |
| Protein | 18g per 100g | 14g per 100g |
In general, Spam is significantly higher in calories and total fat compared to spiced ham. Spam contains nearly twice as many calories per 100g serving compared to spiced ham. Spiced ham provides more protein.
Cost
Spam tends to be more affordable than spiced ham. Some average prices:
– 12 oz can of Spam: $2.29
– 8 oz package of spiced ham lunch meat: $3.99
– 1 lb spiced ham steak or roast: $7.99
Spam’s canned format allows it to be mass produced at a very low cost. Spiced ham is sold fresh or cured whole, which leads to higher prices.
Uses
While both can be pan-fried and used in sandwiches, spiced ham and Spam have some different typical uses:
Spiced Ham
– Sandwiches
– Salads
– Omelets or scrambled eggs
– Soups and beans
– Glazed with brown sugar or honey and baked
Spam
– Fried rice
– Fried eggs and Spam breakfast
– Spam musubi (sushi)
– Grilled Spam and pineapple
– Spam and potato hash
So spiced ham is more often used in sandwiches or salads, while Spam shines in fried rice, Hawaiian dishes, and American breakfast classics.
Can They Be Used Interchangeably?
For some recipes, spiced ham and Spam can be used interchangeably if you account for their differences in flavor, texture, and sodium content:
- In fried rice, omelets, or noodle dishes, regular Spam can be swapped for spiced ham for a less salty, more subtly spiced flavor.
- In sandwiches, salads, or soups, spiced ham can replace Spam, though the texture will be softer and flavor less intense.
- In Hawaiian or Asian recipes that use Spam, lower sodium Spam or spiced ham are healthier reduced sodium options.
However, their unique flavors mean the final dish may taste quite a bit different with the substitution. And for certain signature recipes like Spam musubi, the unique salty umami flavor of Spam is an integral part of the dish.
Conclusion
While spiced ham and Spam are two distinct processed pork products, they share some similarities. But spiced ham contains spices for flavor, is smoked, lower in sodium, and more tender. Spam has a simpler salty pork meat taste, higher sodium, and a firm texture.
They can sometimes be used interchangeably depending on the recipe, though significant differences in flavor and sodium should be considered. For iconic recipes designed for one or the other, the substitution may not achieve the intended result.