Guam Spam Delight

Guam Spam Delight

No matter where I went in the world I found the equivalent of Spam canned "mystery meat." In Australia growing up, the meat was marketed as "Camp Pie" or "Luncheon Meat." Cans of Spam were in most homes on Guam along with canned vegetables. Given the high frequency of earthquakes and typhoons, such food reserves were a necessity. The following is a basic Chamorro family recipe. This tasty and economical recipe is not reserved for emergencies. It is served often as a basic quick meal.

        
        1     can Spam cut into half inch pieces
        1     can diced  tomatoes. I use a can of Italian spiced tomatoes  

        1     drained can cut green beans 

        1     cup diced onions
        1     8 oz. can of button or sliced mushrooms

        1     cup of diced green peppers
        1/4  cup barbecue sauce

        1     half teaspoon salt

        1     half teaspoon pepper

        1     teaspoon garlic powder

First brown the Spam with olive oil. Then add onions and green peppers to the pan. Add barbecue sauce and stir well. Add diced tomatoes and green beans. Add seasonings. Cook on low heat for five minutes. This dish is often served with rice. 

As might be expected, Spam dishes have a range of options. One option is to make a sandwich with the first part of the recipe. When the Spam has browned, the onions have sauteed, add green peppers, mushrooms and a 1/4 cup of Barbecue Sauce ( I use Outback Al's Sauce) and simmer for a few minutes while stirring. Take a hot dog bun or "deli" roll, the bigger the better, and add several tablespoons of the mixture and serve. It makes quite a meal. One popular meal uses a toasted deli roll served "open face" with available vegetables. In this picture the meal includes: the open toasted roll with butter or mayonnaise with two heaped tablespoons of the Spam mixture, a heaped tablespoon of mashed Australian pumpkin (sweet "blue" winter squash in the USA) and a tablespoon of mint flavored peas. Mashed potato is not that common in tropical climates. Mashed yams, sweet potato, or "Australian pumpkin" are more common. Typically, the yams are steamed (or microwaved) until soft, then the pulp is scooped out. Butter and or olive oil is added, then mashed and seasoned with salt and pepper. Some add other spices, including Italian spices. Mint peas involve adding a half cup of mint sauce before cooking a can of peas undrained. Mint sauce is available in most places and is often served with lamb, but it is great with other foods. In some places mint grows so well it is considered a pest. To make mint sauce, take three cups of washed, finely chopped mint leaves with stems removed, add a cup of wine vinegar or malt vinegar and a tablespoon of sugar. Some add a little olive oil and a tablespoon of lemon or lime juice. Bring mixture to a boil for a few seconds and bottle. Let sit for a week before using.

The following is a comment from Martha Stewart describing what Australians call the pumpkin:                                                                                                                                                     "Queensland Blue" is an Australian squash with jade-green skin and smooth deep-orange flesh, whose high sugar content makes it perfect for pumpkin pie. Packed with vitamin A, winter squash is versatile and nutritious."               

              A very tasty and portable meal can be made by wrapping two tablespoons of the cooked Spam mixture with a tortilla and then wrapping the tortilla in foil. The sandwich made with a "deli" bun does not travel well and becomes quite mushy after a few hours.

           There are Spanish influences in the Chamorro foods and language, which is to be expected, given that Guam and other Mariana islands were claimed by the Spanish Crown in 1565. The Chamorro people were believed to have arrived from Southeast Asia as early as 2,000 B.C. Spanish galleons can be found under the clear waters of Guam. Historical reports state that in the Spanish occupation the Chamorro population of 200,000 was reduced to 5,000 by fighting and disease. The survivors were mostly women and children. Guam was sold by Spain to the United States for 20 million dollars in 1899.