How many ways can you eat luncheon meat?

They call it spam, we call it luncheon meat!  So, how many ways can we eat luncheon meat?  Ok, ok, I'm kidding.....there's only one way to eat luncheon meat...and that's fried....either pan-fried or deep-fried! ;)

It's usually just pan-fried to get a nice crisp on the surface of the luncheon meat...and that's how most of us would cook it at home (cut into half-moon slices).

Or into quarters...just to stretch the pieces a little bit more..hihihi!  My family (especially my husband) loves luncheon meat a lot.

Although there's only one way to eat luncheon meat, there are certainly many ways we can pair luncheon meat with.  Yes, yes, I know, it's not something we should consume on a regular basis but, just once, let's not be bothered with how unhealthy it is and take a trip down memory lane to...those were the days, my friends....when most of us weren't health freaks yet! ^_~

#1 - Luncheon Meat Sandwich


Now, if there's a sandwich that kids want back then that mommies could prepare easily, it would be a luncheon meat sandwich.  I remember eating this growing up myself...without a care in the world (soon, I think kids will not know what a luncheon meat sandwich is anymore with parents being increasingly more health conscious these days and bar their children from eating this and that...haiz!) :'(

#2 - Luncheon Meat with Nasi Lemak


This can only happen in a Chinese nasi lemak stall.  You can almost always find this besides pork (or wild boar) curry.

#3 - Luncheon Meat Omelette


And then who hasn't made luncheon meat omelette before at home.

#4 - Egg Coated Luncheon Meat


We'd usually find chap fan stalls deep-frying pieces of luncheon meat, coated in beaten egg, till the egg coating gets all frizzy and crispy...yum, yum! ^.^

#5 - Luncheon Meat Yong Tau Foo


Not only do we find these in chap fan stalls but, these days, we can even find luncheon meat as a yong tau foo choice.


Sometimes wrapped in crispy bean curd sheets :)

#6 - Western Breakfast with Luncheon Meat


If western-style breakfasts have their bacon, ham and sausages...well, we have added luncheon meat in our localised version...hehe! ;P

#7 - Luncheon Meat with Spaghetti


We even have luncheon meat options with spaghetti....in black pepper or mushroom sauce...wuahahahaha!  Heck, even phonghongbakes cooked spaghetti aglio olio with luncheon meat! ;)

#8 - Luncheon Meat Fries


And was there any doubt that we'd make fries out of luncheon meat? :P

I'm sure some of us have many more ingenious ways to eat luncheon meat but this is not a luncheon meat post because I wanted to showcase the ways we eat luncheon meat but because I wanted to share with you my recently discovered (and current) favourite brand of luncheon meat.


It's NOT Ma Ling...the brand everyone's most familiar with (this one used to be the 'undisputed champion' but the vast imitations in the market place have 'spoiled' its name).


It's NOT Gulong (the one I used to buy).


It's NOT Tulip (which I have tried or any of these fancy shmancy 'western-type' brands).


And it's NOT Golden Bridge, a Singapore brand that's gluten-free (!) and made with no MSG (!).  Is there even such a thing as 'healthy' (or healthier) processed food?  Those who consider eating this eat it just so that their conscience is clear(er)? ;D


It's YiGe!!  I can't believe it took me until now to discover this! ^o^  Ok-lah, I've not tried the Singapore brand above but my dry goods vendor says it's not as nice as this one, so I'm going to trust him.  Maybe one day when I'm feeling 'healthy', I'll try that brand.  But, then again, when have we ever encountered a 'healthier' brand of a totally 'unhealthy' product that turned out tastier! :P

So, how did I discover this YiGe brand?  Well, I mustered enough courage and asked a stall helper (not the owner) selling local western breakfast (coz theirs was the best luncheon meat I've tasted).  She was nice enough to take out the can for me to see.  So, that was how I found out.


After that, I wondered where I could find that brand (since I don't remember seeing it before)...and, lo and behold, I was at my regular dried foodstuff stall in my neighbourhood wet market, and there it was.  He told me he has been selling this brand since day one.  Hmmm, come to think of it, I think he did recommend me this but I didn't know it was a tasty brand and continued to ignore him buy other brands instead of YiGe...ish! >:(  And then I saw it too at Aeon supermarket...looks like it's commonly sold everywhere.  But the one in Aeon retails for RM10.70 whereas the one from my wet market is only RM9.50.


And how can you tell if it's gonna taste gooooood?  For me, it's those little specks of reddish hue that look like ham....that's the sign of a good spam :)  Those that are just one colour aren't as fragrant...and those that are one colour (and dark), better stay away from those.


Some people I know even eat it raw....straight from the can (slapped between two slices of bread)!  I dare not (coward!) + frying it makes it more fragrant, no? :)


Now, how can we not like LM when its very initials say "Love Me".....hihihi! ^_*  Enough said.