The Best Spam Flavor Is The Ultimate Upgrade For Salads And Sandwiches

Canned Spam may not be on regular rotation when making meals at home, but many consider it a classic. There's a reason Spam is widely loved in Hawaii, for example, and it has a lot to do with its versatility. These days, Hormel makes 14 distinctive varieties of the canned meat, and Food Republic ranked 11 Spam flavors from worst to best. The top choice in the review was Spam Maple Flavored, and it can be a quick and easy upgrade on your next stir-fry, salad, or sandwich.

Spam Maple still has the distinctive deep and salty, somewhat unctuous flavor that Spam Classic is known for, but with added "natural maple flavor" (dextrose, arabic gum, and molasses). While gum arabic may not be something you're familiar with, it's actually derived from the acacia tree and works as an emulsifier and stabilizer in the thick syrup that coats Spam Maple, giving it the look and flavor of a glazed ham.

Online reviews praise Spam Maple for its traditional taste and toothsome texture. A YouTube reviewer said, "This is delicious. There's a really good maple taste with this. It's outstanding." A TikToker, eating it directly out of the can said, "Mmm. I like this," and gave it a solid 8 out of 10. On Facebook, one user wrote, "If you ever take leftover ham from Christmas dinner ... and fry it for breakfast, this is what it tasted like ... Recommend 10/10." But you don't have to fry it for breakfast or eat it straight out of the can — there are plenty of innovative ways to use Spam Maple.

Spam has always been a classic in mayonnaise-based pasta salads, especially a traditional elbow macaroni pasta salad with crunchy cucumber, red onion, and diced tomatoes. The extra sweetness of the maple glaze will bring out the creaminess of the mayo and help tamp down the pungent bite of the red onions. Spam Maple makes a great substitute in any bacon-forward salad. It gives an added mellow maple flavor to something like a kale bacon salad with candied walnuts, and will add another element of texture, whether fried up nice and crispy or cut into chunks right out of the can. The maple also lends itself well to a standard Cobb salad and goes great with salads that use sweet and tart fruits, like a chopped apple salad. 

As for sandwiches, an obvious choice would be a Spam Maple, egg, and cheese that's super easy to make for a special brunch treat. Or add a slice of Spam Maple to your next grilled cheese. Try it in place of bacon on a club sandwich or turn your BLT into a SMLT — the maple flavor gives a little sugary kick without being too cloying or syrupy. For an interesting mix that may be a little surprising but is truly delicious, you can melt Velveeta cheese over Spam Maple, mayo, and pickle relish sarnie in the oven. Then, of course, there's the nearly completely effortless Spam (Maple) and cheese with some mayo, lettuce, and tomato. Some may seem obvious and some a little novel, but there are a lot of ways to upgrade when you reach for the Spam Maple at the store.