After having read all hubbub about the Tulip vs. SPAM competition I decided I had to give it a try myself. Yes, that is a photo I shot today so it does count for my photo of the day. Plus I was a bit desperate having come home at night without much light for scenic photos. You also might want to read some backstory on the two pink mystery meats at this link, or at the Honolulu Star-Bulletin. I had to give into the taste test challenge after reading about the stories on Ian Lind’s blog.
Strangely enough both cans look very similar with SPAM & Tulip musubis on the cover. You might notice the can of Tulip looks bigger than the can of SPAM but it’s an illusion.
But the Tulip can is actually slimmer. Both are the same weight but the SPAM has more of that mysterious gelatinous substance in it. The Tulip has what looks like bits of bacon in it, as the label says.
Both cook-up pretty much the same. Taste-wise I’d have to say you can tell the difference. Dare I say it? The Tulip tastes more like a meat product while the SPAM tastes like…SPAM. The cooked Tulip is firmer, not as salty and has a bit of smokey bacon flavor. Tulip seems to cook up a bit drier, maybe it’s the lack of the gelatin stuff.
Which do I like better? It’s like eating a Nestle or Hershey chocolate bar. I like both, but they’re definately different. Go with the foreign Nestle bar or the USA product with Hershey? The American SPAM or Danish Tulip? I think I’ll just buy whatever is on sale.