Like a moth to the proverbial, I am drawn repeatedly to those weird cans of meat on the shelf. You know the ones, the ones you stare at curiously, but never quite make the purchase. But still, you wonder, what the hell is actually in that can.
Wonder no more when it comes to Hereford Luncheon meat – here’s the full lowdown for you. In essence, it’s a version of the popular Spam product. It’s a processed pork and chicken product, amalgamated back together with salt, sugar and spices. The addition of chicken is a notable difference to Hormel’s Spam which is just pork.
Cooking: None required, you can eat this stuff out of the can like Spam. Personally I keep mine in the fridge, I prefer the chilled taste and texture, at room texture the fattiness can be a little much on the palate. Cooked up to a crisp finish is also fabulous too.
Taste and texture: The textural appearance is a courser one out of the can, but its materially similar to spam in the actual tasting; I should note out of the can the aroma is fairly identical to spam too. The tasting is where things ever so slightly deviate. The Luncheon Meat emulsification is a little smoother to my taste, and the taste just that smidge different; it’s hard to put your finger on I’m guessing the addition of chicken. It’s perhaps a little sweeter too. Mind you, blindfold me, and I would probably be hard pressed to call out the correct brand reliably. Actually, now that sounds like fun.
Overall: A fine stand in for Spam, though not quite identical. The slightly sweeter taste means I’d personally prefer this one in cooked dishes, rather than cold: think tossed into fried rice, or sliced thin and crisped up with sunny side up eggs.
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Overall
Is Hereford Luncheon Meat - what's in the can any good
Unless you’re a spam obsessive, you’d be hard pressed to taste the difference between this and Spam. There’s perhaps a slightly sweeter taste and smoother texture, but ostensibly you can use them – and enjoy them – interchangeably.
Hi, I’m Stuart, nice to meet you! I’m the founder, writer and wrangler at Gastronomic SLC – Utah’s biggest and oldest online food magazine; I’m also a former restaurant critic of more than five years, working for the Salt Lake Tribune. I’ve worked extensively with multiple local publications from Visit Salt Lake to Salt Lake Magazine, not least helped to consult on national TV shows.
I’m a multiple-award winning journalist and have covered the Utah dining scene for the better part of fifteen years. I’m largely fueled by a critical obsession with rice, alliteration and the use of big words I don’t understand. I started Shop Smart to catalogue my adventures in the grocery store and kitchen. Follow along on Instagram too!