Canned Corned Beef Vs Spam: The Difference, Explained

The world of canned meats can be a strange place. It's a category that invites strong opinions, both in defense and disgust. Few types of food have had as many myths circling around them, yet few types of food have been as important to the industrialization of how we eat. Despite being a common pantry staple for nearly two centuries, many varieties of canned meat are still lidded in secrecy and misunderstanding. Take Spam and canned corned beef, for example. For many people, they give the same impression, despite having some big differences between them.

The primary difference between Spam and canned corned beef is what's inside. Simply put, canned corned beef is made from cured beef, while Spam is primarily a pork product. Besides the meat, each item has a number of additional ingredients that are typically stocked inside. Typically, canned corned beef is made of lean beef meat combined with nitrate or nitrite, large grain salt, pepper, sodium glutamate, and beef tallow, broth, water, or all three. With canned corned beef, what you get may depend on the company that is producing it. There isn't a trademark on the term "corned beef," so recipes vary.

Alternatively, Spam is the brand name of a pork luncheon meat licensed by Hormel Foods, and thus has a very specific makeup. Tinned Spam features ground pork-shoulder meat that has been mixed with ham, salt, water, sugar, sodium nitrate, and — since 2009 — potato starch.

When choosing between a can of Spam or canned corned beef, you might be tempted to use either product interchangeably, but this would be a mistake. Because the two products have a difference in composition and taste, they lend themselves to different methods of preparation as well. 

Canned corned beef is pressure steamed before being sealed, which causes the texture of the meat to become something that is a bit grainier. You might even describe it as being mushy or gelatinous. As such, it doesn't hold its shape well and is best when sauteed alongside aromatics like onion or garlic, or with potatoes to form a hash. Alternatively, the ground texture makes it perfect for stuffing things like squash, mushrooms, or a quiche. You can also fold it into omelettes, casseroles, sandwiches, or stews.

Alternatively, Spam has a firm structure that gives it a feeling of support in numerous other dishes. It can be cubed or diced to mix into fried rice just as well as it can be sliced, pan-fried, and served as Spam musubi. Because it doesn't fold or crumble easily, you can even cut Spam into thick planks that are stewed into meat-centric kimchi jjigae. One of the simplest ways to serve Spam is in a rendition of the Filipino breakfast tapsilog, where it can be an inexpensive substitute for steak.