Spam Just Launched a New Flavor and We Tried It First

Here's what we thought.

There’s a new Spam flavor out now and it’s perfect for adding to Asian-inspired dishes like rice bowls and musubi. Spam Korean BBQ Flavored is exclusively available for purchase at Walmart and brings the brand’s total variety count to 12. The Korean barbecue flavor joins Spam Maple Flavored as the most recent additions to the Spam family and, based on how much I enjoyed the flavors of the maple variety, I was excited to try the Korean barbecue version.

“Spam Korean BBQ Flavored is a nod to the relationship the Spam brand has to Korean food culture and the ongoing celebration of global tastes,” Jennesa Kinscher, senior brand manager for the Spam brand, said in a press release. “This new variety not only satisfies the comfort and nostalgia our current fans crave, but it also attracts new fans who are eager to try the sweet and zesty flavors that the Korean barbecue dish and experience offer.”

Spam’s History With Korean Cuisine

Hormel Foods says Spam has been a “staple in global Korean customs” since the Korean War, saying that during the 1950s, Spam was often incorporated into Korean budae jjigae, also known as “army stew.” To celebrate the newest variety, Spam partnered with celebrity chef Esther Choi, who spoke to Allrecipes about her lifelong love of Spam.

“My mom and grandma used to cook Spam in so many ways during my childhood, including everything from kimchi jjigae (kimchi stew) to Spam sandwiches,” said Choi. “Their recipes and culinary creativity have been a huge inspiration to how I serve Spam dishes at my restaurants today.”

So what makes the newest flavor so special? “What I love most about it is that it still has the comforting, umami taste current Spam fans love, but it also adds sweet and spicy notes from trendy flavors like gochujang, ginger, and paprika,” Choi shared. “I also love the way it caramelizes from the added sweetness—often you see people glaze regular Spam with a sweet soy or teriyaki glaze, but with this new flavor you don't have to do any of that.”

How To Serve Korean Barbecue-Flavored Spam

To celebrate the new release of Spam Korean BBQ Flavored, the brand released a series of recipes that showcase how to best enjoy the product. Among them are Korean-inspired rice bowls made up of steamed white rice topped with Korean barbecue-flavored Spam and ingredients like kimchi and chili crisp.

Choi says one of her favorite ways to enjoy Korean barbecue-flavored Spam is simple. “My initial recommendation is for home cooks to grill Spam Korean BBQ Flavored and pair it with some kimchi to really savor the spices, tang, and savoriness,” she said. “From there, some simple and flavorful ways I suggest serving it up include adding a fried egg or white rice.”

What Does Korean BBQ Spam Taste Like?

To taste test Spam’s newest variety at home, I diced the Korean BBQ Spam into small cubes and fried them up with a bit of chili oil for extra flavor. Choi was right—the cubes of Spam took on a glazed texture of their own, no sauce required. I tossed a bit of kimchi in with my Spam and served it all over white rice, but this variety would also be delicious in Korean-inspired tacos with some slaw or a fried rice dish with pickled vegetables.

Korean BBQ Spam tastes equal parts sweet and spicy, with flavors reminiscent of those you’d find at a Korean barbecue restaurant. The spicy notes of gochujang marry well with the sweet freshness of ginger, making the Spam variety a great addition to any Asian-inspired dish.

“The new flavor is so flavorful in itself that it changes the whole complexity of a simple dish,” said Choi, who has used Spam Korean BBQ Flavored in dishes like egg kimbap and Spam dumplings. “You can also grill Spam Korean BBQ Flavored on your outdoor grill—which could bring a really fun experience to your barbecues.”

Read the original article on All Recipes.