# Why I Stock Up on Spam at Costco

> A food writer explains her love for the vintage canned meat and how to cook with it.
- Title: Why I Stock Up on Spam at Costco · Taste of Home | Shortify
- Summary: A food writer explains her love for the vintage canned meat and how to cook with it. Spam transforms from soft and dense straight from the can into something…
- Keywords: spam, costco, canned meat, hormel, pantry staples, cooking tips, spam musubi, hawaiian food, budget cooking, vintage foods, Stock, Taste of Home
- Source: Taste of Home — https://tasteofhome.com/article/costco-best-foods
- Author: Lindsay D. Mattison
- Published: 2026-09-25T21:49:07+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: spam, costco, canned meat, hormel, pantry staples, cooking tips, spam musubi, hawaiian food, budget cooking, vintage foods
## A secret Spam superfan
The author stocks up on Spam multipacks at Costco and keeps them as a pantry staple. She discovered she could slice and pan-fry it to add crispy, caramelized meat to almost any dish.

> I'm a Spam superfan, and it's almost always on my Costco shopping list.
## Spam's Hawaiian heritage
Spam is deeply woven into Hawaiian food culture, with an annual festival in Waikiki where restaurants showcase creative Spam dishes. The author's coworker returned from the festival with inspiration that cemented Spam's place in her pantry.
## What Spam actually is
Hormel introduced Spam in nineteen thirty-seven as an affordable, shelf-stable canned meat made from pork and ham. Over one hundred million pounds were sent to feed Allied troops during World War Two, and it's now available in flavors like teriyaki and maple.
## How Spam tastes and feels
Spam is similar to bologna but firmer and meatier. Straight from the can it's soft and dense, but pan-frying transforms it completely, creating crispy, caramelized edges while the center stays tender and juicy.
## The pan-fry technique
Slice Spam and place it in a hot skillet, then let the slices brown well on both sides without moving them around too much. The deeply browned, caramelized edges are where the magic happens.

> That's where the magic happens.
## Five ways to cook with Spam
Use crispy Spam slices for musubi, sandwiches, tacos, and quesadillas. You can also cube it for breakfast over rice or potatoes with a fried egg, or swap it into soups and pasta dishes like carbonara or kimchi stew.
## Keep portions in mind
Spam is high in sodium and fat, so a little goes a long way. A few slices add significant flavor to an otherwise simple dish without needing to use much.
## Key takeaway

Spam transforms from soft and dense straight from the can into something magical when pan-fried until the edges caramelize, making it versatile enough for breakfast, sandwiches, rice bowls, and more.