I remember as a kid this was one of my Mom’s favorite meals, and as kids we LOVED eating all the spam out of our dishes, but would have to choke down the cabbage!
Well… it’s now one of my favorites! How we change! I know, I know.. with our healthy food choices how could I even contemplate eating spam? Who knows what it really is anyway? I know… a guilty pleasure. I really do like it although we rarely have it in the house!
It’s one of my grandfathers favorites as well, and I think it was a bonding thing between us as well! He was famous in our family for his spam sandwiches on white bread with acme mayonnaise It was a hit with all of the grandkids and it was the desired lunch if we were ever spending the day with Pap! My how our diets have since changed!
Brian and I even had spam musubi on our honeymoon to Hawaii. We both have a love affair with spam! There was a little shop across from our hotel which sold fresh musubi each morning! We had it as a snack before heading out for breakfast! It’s a great memory!

Even though I really do like spam, I know it would be smart to choose a healthier alternative! So ham it is! I will say the original is definitely my favorite, but ham will do and is still quite tasty!
Cabbage and Ham
1 cabbage
1 lb cooked hamChop the ham or dice it, whatever you prefer. And you can always use more ham depending on how large the cabbage is. I like to cube the ham into ½ inch squares.
First brown the ham in a wok to desired crispness.
While ham is browning chop or slice the cabbage into bite sized pieces.
When the ham is done, remove from the pan and set aside.
Put cabbage into wok, add about ½ cup of water or just enough to steam the cabbage and not let it stick to the bottom.
Cover and cook until cabbage is tender.
Add in the ham and serve immediately.Notes:
I like to just add salt and pepper or garlic salt and pepper and eat it that way. It has a mild flavor, but I really like it that way. Asian hubby is not on board with that…..Asian Style!: Add ½ TBSP sesame oil and 2 TBSP [amazon_link id=”B001AYEUH4″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Tamari[/amazon_link] or [amazon_link id=”B003XB5LMU” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Coconut aminos[/amazon_link] and stir together. Has more of a stir fry flavor. Fish sauce would be another thing to add as well!
Give it a try and let me know what you think! This is a quick and simple dish and easy to keep ingredients on hand!