[Drincut Pick] The Eternal Rice Thief, Comparison of 3 Types of Canned Ham

Trusted Drinkit Pick!

Editor's NoteSimilar ingredients with the same name! There are so many foods to eat, but you don't know what to choose? Wondering which food will earn you the reputation of having "eaten well"? If you're in doubt, follow the 'picks' of the DrinKit editors! We've carefully examined essential criteria for reasonable food purchases such as taste, flavor, and price. We've also ranked them by combining all factors! Who will be the number one winner?

What do you think is the ultimate "rice thief" dish? (Editor's honest confession: I prefer seasoned crab over soy sauce marinated crab, so I've never really thought of soy sauce marinated crab as a rice thief.) Standing alongside the ancestor of rice thieves, ‘soy sauce marinated crab’, is ‘Spam grilled’.

A slice of Spam on white rice is a beloved side dish for everyone, from kids to adults, regardless of age or gender. Even without other side dishes, just Spam can solve your meal for the day. However, Spam is just one type of canned ham. So, we purchased three types of canned ham and thoroughly investigated everything from price to taste. Stay tuned until the end and focus. Please.

When I visited the mart and stood in front of the canned food section, there were so many varieties like Spam, Richam, and luncheon meat. From familiar ones to products I saw for the first time, it was really diverse, and I pondered for a long time about what criteria to use. After much deliberation, the editor decided on ‘products with pork content of 90% or more’.

Unlike previous DrinKit picks, I’m going to spoil it first. When comparing all canned hams, they all had very similar colors, pork content, and sizes, making them hard to distinguish. Let me introduce the three very similar products right now! Follow ME!★

Choice 1
Spam Classic

The first candidate is the ever-reliable Spam. There are various types including Spam Classic, Spam Light with 25% less saltiness, and Spam Rich Cheese with added cheese flavor. Among them, the original Spam Classic is sold at 4,780 KRW for 200g (price varies by retailer) and contains 92.44% pork.

When sliced thinly vertically and grilled in a frying pan, Spam is Spam! It is famously known as ‘the saltiest Spam!’ and it really is salty. This is because it has the highest sodium content at 1080mg. Whether eaten raw or grilled, the salty taste remains strong. That’s why it pairs wonderfully with white rice. The strong saltiness of Spam is neutralized when eaten with rice.

Choice 2
Richam Original

The second canned ham to meet is Richam. If you recall your childhood, didn’t Richam have the image of being less salty than Spam? And I’m pretty sure it was a few hundred won cheaper, but it’s actually the same price at 4,780 KRW for 200g (price varies by retailer). The pork content is 91.1%, which is 1.34% less than Spam.

Richam was originally made by reducing sodium content by more than 20%. The sodium content is 670mg, which is about half of Spam’s, which is surprising. When tasted without grilling, you can definitely feel it’s less salty. Moreover, when grilled, it makes you think of beer right after rice. It’s not salty when eaten alone, so I thought it’s perfect as a snack rather than a side dish for rice.

Choice 3
Delicious Real Farm

The last candidate is No Brand’s Delicious Real Farm. You know Spam and Richam also come in 340g sizes, right? This product sold by No Brand does not come in small sizes. Even so, it is 1,800 KRW cheaper. The pork content is 95.03%.

Among the canned hams we met today, it has the largest volume, is the cheapest, and has the highest pork content. Considering these points, I thought it was truly a cost-effective product. I tasted it with some skepticism, but it was very similar to the previously tasted products in every aspect including taste and texture. It was less salty than Richam and almost identical to Spam. The sodium content is about 571mg when converted to 200g.

Summary

▶ Pork Content : Delicious Real Farm > Spam > Richam

▶ Sodium : Spam > Richam > Delicious Real Farm

The three criteria the editor felt are as follows. Honestly, they were almost identical, so it was difficult to rank them. They even looked similar, making me wonder ‘Is this really this one?’!

▶ Softness : Spam > Richam > Delicious Real Farm

▶ Saltiness : Spam > Delicious Real Farm > Richam

▶ Repurchase Intention : Delicious Real Farm > Spam ＝ Richam

The grand winner that combines cost-effectiveness and taste is?