A Review of SPAM Figgy Pudding
My family were equal opportunity breakfast meat consumers when I was growing up. SPAM was always an affordable option, so the smell of it cooking in our large cast iron skillet is a favorite memory of mine. So when I heard that SPAM was putting out a Figgy Pudding variety, I was super excited to have some on Thanksgiving morning.
What is SPAM Figgy Pudding? Well, it’s the iconic canned-ham, but with notes of cinnamon and nutmeg blended with fig and orange flavors.
Based on the imagery on the can, I expected the SPAM to be much darker. Instead, it just had a slightly darker tint when compared to regular SPAM. You could smell the difference as soon as you opened the can. Those holiday flavors really pop.
I like my SPAM rather thinly sliced and well-browned in a pan. This treatment suited the Figgy variety well. With sugar as the second ingredient (after pork) it caramelized very nicely…crispy, brown, and sweet. I found the spices to be warm and well-balanced.
The flavor hits you pretty quickly. It is a nicely sweetened holiday flavor that lingers slightly. You could taste it a lot more on a slightly thicker pieces. This is not unique to this flavor, but if you cut your SPAM razor-thin, you will lose a lot of the flavor.
It’s a new/retro holiday comfort food that I will enjoy throughout the season. I plan on making the Spiced Dutch Baby Pancake with SPAM Figgy Pudding recipe from the brand’s website. Sounds tasty, and I definitely think the seasonal ham would pair nicely with maple syrup. Can you really ever have too much sugar on your meat product?
Unfortunately, it appears that the limited-time-only product is already sold out at the online retailers that had carried the spiced meat, but SPAM says they plan to continue the tradition of holiday flavors in future seasons.
I ordered mine from Walmart.com, and they came in a two pack. It cost 20 bucks (with shipping), which seemed high for two cans of SPAM, but as a once a year holiday treat, I allowed myself the indulgence. Hopefully, they will not only lower the price next year, but make it more widely available.
Questions about this holiday treat? SPAM created a cute animated video to accompany the song “We Wish You A Figgy Christmas,” which explains the delicacy. The pig getting excited about eating SPAM is a bit troublesome.
If you are not a SPAM fan, I am not sure that SPAM Figgy Pudding is going to bring you around to the canned meat. If you are a fan, you should be happy that they found a really strong holiday flavor that will hopefully return for many years to come.
