Who put Spam in fried rice?
Since its creation by Hormel Foods in 1937 and use in US militarization during WWII, Spam has quickly infiltrated many ethnic dishes like Spam musubi (an invention by Barbara Funamuna of Hawaii) or Korean army stew. Spam fried rice also has Hawaiian origins and is influenced by East and Southeast Asian fried rice varieties.
Ingredients in Spam fried rice
While there are lots of things to add to Spam fried rice, the basics are in its name: cubed pieces of Spam and stir-fried rice. Other ingredients include vegetables (like peas and carrots), scrambled eggs, minced garlic, soy sauce, and oyster sauce. You can add other ingredients and veggies like onions, corn, pineapple, toasted sesame oil, black pepper, or scallions.
Types of rice to use
My favorite and most common type of rice to use for fried rice is jasmine rice. This long-grain variety is preferred because it’s not as sticky as other types like short-grain, which can sometimes be too mushy for fried rice. I recommend using refrigerated, day-old jasmine rice because it has a drier and sturdier texture and keeps its shape well during stir-frying.
How to make Spam fried rice (brief overview)
The goal is essentially to cook or brown the finicky ingredients separately, then warm up, season, and add a slight fried/char, so everything finishes cooking at the same time.
What is the secret to good fried rice?
Here are my top tips for making good fried rice:
It’s best to use day-old and refrigerated jasmine rice because the dried and sturdy texture keeps it from falling apart while stir-frying. Use a big enough pan! Heed my advice and use a bigger pan than you think you need. Bigger pans (or even using a wok or large skillet) help move the ingredients around and evenly cook them. I used a 12-inch cast iron pan that was barely large enough for 7 cups of day-old, crumbled rice. Use frozen vegetables and cook them in the microwave ahead of time. Frozen vegetables make prepping easier because you don’t have to clean or cut vegetables, which are already cooked to perfection by the time you add them to the rice. Cut your Spam to about ⅜-inch (9mm) cubes. This size ensures you get Spam in every bite, but it’s not too much salt either. Another tip is to use Spam with less sodium and fat so you can spread more of the salt and seasoning to the rest of your ingredients with your sauce. Taste as you cook. This allows you to adjust the seasoning and add more salt if necessary.
Is Spam, eggs, and rice healthy?
While eggs are made up of healthy fats and protein, Spam doesn’t have many health benefits associated with its name. It has a small amount of protein but is also high in sodium and overall calories. Many processed meat products (like Spam) can easily throw off a well-balanced diet if you’re not being careful, so I try to keep it to a minimum and treat ourselves occasionally.
Why is my fried rice mushy?
Mushy fried rice is no fun, so prevent this undesirable texture by making sure you are using refrigerated, day-old jasmine rice. Using old rice means cooking with drier rice granules that help keep the texture of the rice from getting too mushy. It also means it soaks up all the yummy seasoning and makes your rice even more delicious. If you want fried rice, but don’t have refrigerated, day-old rice, I recommend letting your fresh rice cool down before placing it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to one hour to dry out your rice before cooking.
What should I season Spam with?
I love to season Spam fried rice with my at-home version of teriyaki sauce that includes soy sauce, oyster sauce, mirin (or rice wine vinegar), sake, and light brown sugar. Make sure to whisk together this mixture in a bowl before pouring over the Spam fried rice. If you like your food with a kick, feel free to add a drizzle of sriracha.
