Episode 15: Dale Talde + Canned Meats in Asian Cuisine

Ever wonder why there’s so much Spam in Asian food? Chef and owner of the Talde restaurants and former Top Chef contestant, Dale Talde, joins Lynda and Iris in the studio to discuss this fascinating aspect of Asian cuisine.

Dale kicks off the show by asking Iris and Lynda, gun to the head, do you like canned meats? (Spoiler: they all said yes.) Lynda and Dale then open up cans of original Spam, Teriyaki Spam, and Vienna Sausages for a live tasting session. They talk about their food memories associated with canned meats and whether or not there are health concerns when it comes to this food. They also discuss the West vs East perceptions of canned food. While it's seen as almost a joke of a food in the West, in Korea and the Philippines, there are Spam gift sets!

7:00 "When you open up a stinky package of ripe cheese, motherfuckers are always like, 'oh, it's the feet of the gods'. But you open up fucking Vienna sausages and Spam and all of a sudden it's weird and shit. I don't think that's fair." - Dale Talde on the double standards when it comes to canned meats.

Iris then gives a condensed version of the history of Spam and how World War II is the reason that Spam made its way into the local diets of Guam, Hawaii, Okinawa, Hong Kong, Korea, and the Philippines.

Dale then talks about whether or not he uses canned meats in his cooking, the importance of immigrants in the US and their food, his predictions of what's next for canned meats in the culinary world, and the bigger picture of how our current political climate might affect the way we eat. 

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