Skip to Content
Talkhouse home
Talkhouse home
Podcast

210: SPAM®

Today is a special episode devoted to our love of the SPAM® brand—the multifunctional and influential canned meat that is used creatively in kitchens around the world every day. Whether it’s Korean budae jjigae or musubi rolls spotted in the 7-Eleven in Hawaii, SPAM® is an American heritage food brand that we want to celebrate. Up first, we speak with New York City chef and Iron Chef competitor Esther Choi. We discuss her childhood love of SPAM® products and how she cooks with them at her restaurants today.  Next, we catch up with SPAM® brand director of marketing, Jason Baskin, who offers fun facts about the brand and answers some questions we fried up just for him. How does the brand team develop recipes in their Minnesota test kitchen? And how does the SPAM® brand spot exciting trends around the world? We hope you enjoy this very fun episode. This episode was produced in partnership with our friends at Hormel Foods, makers of the SPAM® brand.  FOLLOW, FOLLOW, FOLLOW:  instagram.com/spambrandinstagram.com/choibitesinstagram.com/mattrodbard

Note: this podcast contains explicit content.

Episode Info

  • Episode210
Today is a special episode devoted to our love of the SPAM® brand—the multifunctional and influential canned meat that is used creatively in kitchens around the world every day. Whether it’s Korean budae jjigae or musubi rolls spotted in the 7-Eleven in Hawaii, SPAM® is an American heritage food brand that we want to celebrate. Up first, we speak with New York City chef and Iron Chef competitor Esther Choi. We discuss her childhood love of SPAM® products and how she cooks with them at her restaurants today. Next, we catch up with SPAM® brand director of marketing, Jason Baskin, who offers fun facts about the brand and answers some questions we fried up just for him. How does the brand team develop recipes in their Minnesota test kitchen? And how does the SPAM® brand spot exciting trends around the world? We hope you enjoy this very fun episode.This episode was produced in partnership with our friends at Hormel Foods, makers of the SPAM® brand. FOLLOW, FOLLOW, FOLLOW:  instagram.com/spambrandinstagram.com/choibitesinstagram.com/mattrodbard Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Podcast

Explore Podcast

Ask Me Anything: Music Person’s 1st Birthday Edition

To celebrate Music Person’s very first birthday—June 18—Dylan Tupper Rupert answers your questions for a change! About music, scenes, phones, life, lore, live…laugh..and love… + Dip gives a letter of recommendation.

June 18, 2026

All One Song :: Lee Ranaldo on “Down By the River”

June 17, 2026

958. – Eddie Huang

June 17, 2026

Nobody’s Ever Asked Me That: Kirsten Johnson

One of the greatest living documentary filmmakers sits down for an extremely personal conversation about life, death, dreams, Stephen Colbert's hands, and more.