September 4, 2022
When used to describe food, the word better is always culturally subjective. If you want a common sense inexpensive cheap alternative that looks like the globally popular SPAM but isn’t a SPAM, you should go with LOTTE’s Luncheon Meat.
SPAM is currently priced between 180 and 200 pesos, whereas LOTTE is only priced between 90 and 120 pesos. I was informed that it’s much cheaper to buy it from Korean supermarkets.
The South Korean knockoff of the pioneering American product enjoys the same massive following as the comparison between Samsung and iPhone. Despite the fact that the typical Korean diet consists mostly of pork, Lotte’s Luncheon Meat was first produced in the mid 1980s and just found popularity in the Philippines in 2019. While SPAM, on the other hand, has been a duty-free commodity among Filipinos since bases were established in the Philippines following WWII.
The brand claims that its product is “less salty,” however in my opinion, they have the same saltiness. However, SPAM appears to have a more gelatinous texture when cooked, whereas this South Korean version is a little dry, particularly when fried in its own oil in a pan.
TRIVIA: The name LOTTE is derived from the name Charlotte, which the founder took after being inspired by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s The Sorrows of Young Werther. It is pronounced “lot.” (end)