DC’s next food trend and where you can find it
Thank you SPAM® Brand for sponsoring this post
SPAM®-infused dishes are everywhere right now. While this canned ham has been popular in Hawaii and Asia for decades, it’s been vastly overlooked in many American kitchens. But not anymore! The SPAM® brand is taking over menus at some of DC’s hottest restaurants, and I’m here for it.
What is a SPAM® product made of? It’s a canned meat made up of 6 simple ingredients: Pork with Ham, Salt, Water, Potato Starch, Sugar, and Sodium Nitrite. It’s salty, smokey and booming with flavor, making it the perfect addition to some of your favorite recipes.
SPAM® dishes are one of 2019’s hottest food trends. DC chefs, and chefs all over the country are playing with this versatile ingredient and incorporating it into their menus. Adam Greenberg, chef and owner of DC’s island-inspired Coconut Club, has an entire section of his menu devoted to the salty and savory amazingness that is the SPAM® brand. So obviously I had to investigate.
If you haven’t been to Coconut Club, it basically feels like an indoor beach party, with bright pink walls, swinging chairs that hang from the ceiling and a menu full of bright, fun, Hawaiian-inspired flavors. Considering SPAM® products are a staple of Hawaiian cuisine, it makes sense that Chef Greenberg added it to his menu not only once, but three times:
open-faced musubi $6.5
sushi rice, kimchi mayo, aged soy sauce
fried rice $10.5 (GF)
soft egg, crispy shallot, furikake
patty melt $8.5
american cheese, caramelized onion, pickled cherry pepper relish
But Coconut Club isn’t the only spot in town utilizing SPAM®. You can also find it at:
TIKI TNT
The Dish: SPAM® Musubi- Grilled SPAM®, Sushi Rice, Nori $6
BUL
The Dish: Budae Jjigae - Soldier’s stew with SPAM®, Sausage, Beans and Tofu $16
LEI MUSUBI
The Dish: SPAM® Musubi (Rice Ball)
Or if you like to cook, try experimenting with SPAM® products at home and create #newtraditions with this delicious ingredient. You can keep it traditional, with ingredients like rice and nori, or start a new tradition with dishes like the Patty Melt at Coconut Club. Either way, I think you’re going to love it! Make sure to tag me and use #dcfoodporn if you share your SPAM® creations on Instagram.