Spam and Soy Sauce Scrambled Eggs With Rice

• 1 can of Spam
• 1 teaspoon of soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon of cooking oil
• 2 eggs
• Rice

The best thing I know how to cook is Spam and soy sauce scrambled eggs with rice. It’s the first meal I made for myself when I moved into my first apartment.

Slice Spam into ½ inch thick slices. Crack 2 eggs into a bowl and scramble until smooth. Add 1 teaspoon of soy sauce into the eggs. Heat oil on pan until shimmering, almost smoking. 

This was one of the staple “go-to” meals in my family when I was younger. You have your rice to fill you up, eggs for protein, and Spam for the extra something-something! It’s what I make for myself when I’m in a hurry, if I’m lazy, or (honestly) if I’m craving it! It’s an amazing dish, and I truly feel sorry for the folks who don’t understand Spam in all of it’s tin glory. There’s a deep hurt I feel when I share my food with others and they respond with, “That looks gross!” 

Spam is not a “good” product by any means., but it’s still good! For me, it falls under the same category of the slurry they use to make chicken nuggets or really shitty convenience store taquitos (it’s good bad food). I like these foods because they bring me to my childhood; they’re comfort foods; it’s eating nostalgia. 

Place Spam slices in the hot pan. Be careful of the fat and oil popping and sizzling. Once in, lower the heat to medium high, flip after 30 seconds or until to your preferred level of doneness. Remove Spam onto a plate with white rice. While the pan is still hot, pour the scrambled eggs into the pan. The Spam that was previously fried will give the eggs a heartier and more unctuous flavor. 

My mom drove me and my brothers (all four of us!) to school every morning. We all went to different schools that were each at least 20 minutes apart. We had to leave early, so to save time my mom would make us breakfast to eat in the car. My favorite was Spam and egg sandwiches on the English muffins with the orange label. 

Scramble eggs on medium heat to high heat, constantly whisking until eggs reach a soft and custardy consistency. Serve on top of white rice with fried Spam. Add soy sauce at the end for seasoning. 

I remember being so scared moving into my first apartment. It was late and I had finally finished moving all of my boxes into the living room. I was standing in the kitchen, hungry, when I realized that I had no food on hand. I walked to the convenience store across the street because I was too tired to drive to a grocery store. I went through the aisles looking for instant ramen or frozen dinners when instead I found a can of Spam. I saw some instant rice, a little bottle of vegetable oil, and a 4-pack of eggs. Before getting back into my apartment, I stopped in my car and grabbed the leftover soy sauce packets I had in my glove compartment.

I walked up the stairs, turned the corner, opened the door and said, “Honey, I’m home!” I laughed to myself. Not an apartment: home. 

And all it took was a can of Spam.