While cooks appreciate that a dash here and a sprinkle there brings the creativity in savory recipes. In baking, the science of precise measuring and thoughtful flavor combinations take over. Instead of looking for another spoonful of sugar, bakers embrace savory ingredients to bring that sizzle, pork, mmm to every bite.
Sometimes an unlikely ingredient turns a tired dish into a new favorite. For example, hot honey has taken over the conversation with people drizzling that flavor on chicken, pizza, and a multitude of other foods. That sticky, spicy, and sweet infusion has people thinking about other foods that can create excitement on the plate.
SPAM is one of those foods that instantly get a reaction from people. Many people, especially native Hawaiians, adore the versatile ingredient. From a featured flavor in musubi to some seared piece in an egg scramble, the meat is staple in many dishes.
Recently, SPAM has seen a surge in popularity thanks to its use in savory sweets. While a little fried crumble on a cake or cupcake brings that salty note to highlight a dessert’s sugary notes, it is more than just than a simple garnish.
For example, the SPAM Monkey Bread is a great savory, sweet breakfast option that people would be happy to devour. The combination of the warm cinnamon, sugar, and SPAM makes each bite an adventure. Served warm, it would be a great alternative to just another simple coffee cake.
While that recipe might be a little more complicated, adding SPAM to punch up the flavor in a dish is a great introduction to the concept. For example, brown sugar ice cream with SPAM is an alternative to the traditional bacon crumble.
Personally, using fried SPAM crumbles as a final garnish to a pineapple upside down cake would be delicious. Not only would it bring some texture to the dish but it would also temper some of the sweeter notes. And, if that SPAM was infused with rum, some people would happily take an extra serving.
In the end, savory sweets need to be part of the food conversation. When a dish needs a little more flavor sizzle, SPAM is waiting to amplify the mmm factor.