DISCLAIMER: I am either going to lose a few readers or gain a few readers with this post. Please don’t judge too harshly 🙂
Some of you may know that I DO NOT eat processed foods – do not, will not, eat from a can (seemed Seuss-worthy)! On any given day, my pantry may hold canned tomatoes, tuna and possibly Garbanzo beans. Lately, like hiding a fugitive, it has also been harboring cans of SPAM! My secret is out: I like fried SPAM (specially processed american meats). My daughter-in-law’s Mom started it! Sonny is an amazing cook. I mean, truly one of the best! I crave her peanut sauce (still waiting for that recipe, by the way, hint!) and her fresh rolls – Oh. My. Goodness! Those rolls are the very things that put me in a SPAM frenzy! Every fresh vegetable you enjoy will offset the sinful indulgence of the SPAM – but you must try the SPAM!
Slice all of your fruits & vegetables Julienne-style – try our favorites: carrots, zucchini, avocado, onion, green leaf lettuce, spinach, cilantro, red peppers, bean sprouts, jalapeño, napa cabbage, pineapple, mango; add rice or bean thread noodles, crab meat, steamed shrimp and SPAM! Roll it all up tight in a sheet of rice paper then dip in your 
favorite sauce!
Now, for the inspiration behind this post (the fresh roll is a freebie!):
SPAM Rolls
- 1 can SPAM, sliced thin
- 4 eggs, well beaten with 1 T water
- salt, pepper and crushed red pepper, to taste
- 1 T soy sauce
- sticky rice, prepared
- Sriracha, to serve
Heat small skillet over medium heat; heat grill pan over medium heat. Place SPAM on grill pan; season with 1 T soy sauce, turn once, cooking just until edges are crisp; remove from heat. In small skillet, make small omelets, seasoned with salt, pepper and crushed red pepper; fold omelet to create a 2 inch by 6 inch creation, then cut in half. Repeat with remaining egg mixture, until you have 10 halves.
Build your SPAM rolls by placing 4 T sticky rice on plastic wrap; place an omelet half on top of rice, then top with SPAM. Wrap tightly, and keep in fridge for up to 5 days. forgive me – enjoy! v
A history lesson:
(1)Spam was introduced by Hormel in 1937. Ken Daigneau, brother of a company executive, won a $100 prize that year in a competition to name the new item. Hormel claims that the meaning of the name “is known by only a small circle of former Hormel Foods executives”, but popular beliefs are that the name is an abbreviation of “spiced ham”, “spare meat”, or “shoulders of pork and ham”. Another popular explanation is that Spam is an acronym standing for “Specially Processed American Meat” or “Specially Processed Army Meat”.
The difficulty of delivering fresh meat to the front during World War II saw Spam become a ubiquitous part of the U.S. soldier’s diet. It became variously referred to as “ham that didn’t pass its physical”, “meatloaf without basic training”, and “Special Army Meat”. Over 150 million pounds of Spam were purchased by the military before the war’s end.
During World War II and the occupations which followed, Spam was introduced into Guam, Hawaii, Okinawa, the Philippines, and other islands in the Pacific. Immediately absorbed into native diets, it has become a unique part of the history and effects of U.S. influence in the Pacific.
And, because we’re currently stationed here:
In Okinawa, Japan, the product is added into onigiri alongside eggs and used as a staple ingredient in the traditional Okinawan dish chanpurū, and a Spam burger is sold by local fast food chain Jef. For the 70th anniversary of Spam in 2007, cans with special designs were sold in Japan due to its popularity, primarily in Okinawa. Following the March 2011 earthquake, Spam sales in Japan declined and Hormel shifted its focus to China although Hormel did pledge to donate $100,000 along with cans of Spam for relief efforts. In the summer of 2011, Burger King introduced its own version of a burger made of Spam, called ‘BK Shot’ Spam Burgers. These small burgers are filled with slices of the canned meat and were an attempt by Burger King to capitalize on Spam’s popularity in Japan. In early 2014, Burger King also introduced the Spam and Cheese burger as a breakfast menu item.
delectablediction 