Why Do Koreans Love Spam? How Budae Jjigae Transformed Canned Meat

In many Western countries, Spam is often viewed as cheap canned meat—something associated with wartime food, emergency supplies or a quick meal when nothing else is available.

In South Korea, however, Spam has a very different image.

Koreans serve it with rice, add it to kimchi fried rice, place it inside gimbap and use it as a major ingredient in one of the country’s most recognizable comfort foods: budae jjigae.

So why do Koreans love Spam, and how did an American canned meat become part of Korean food culture?

The answer begins with war, food shortages and the Korean ability to transform an unfamiliar ingredient into something completely new.

Pan-fried canned ham served with rice, kimchi and Korean side dishes

Spam Tastes Different When Eaten with Korean Food

Spam is salty, fatty and rich. Eating it by itself may make it seem heavy or overly processed.

Koreans rarely treat it as a complete meal on its own. Instead, it is normally combined with plain steamed rice, spicy kimchi, eggs or vegetables.

White rice softens its saltiness, while the acidity and spice of kimchi cut through its richness. This balance makes canned ham taste very different from a slice eaten cold or placed inside a simple sandwich.

It is also convenient. A few slices can be pan-fried in minutes and served as a quick side dish. It can also add meat and flavor to fried rice, stew, gimbap or a lunch box.

Koreans did not simply adopt an American canned food. They found ways to make it work within the Korean dining table.

The Painful History Behind Budae Jjigae

The most important Korean dish made with Spam is budae jjigae.

The name is simple:

• Budae means a military unit or army base.
• Jjigae means a Korean stew.

The Korean War lasted from 1950 to 1953 and devastated much of the country. Food was scarce, and meat was particularly difficult for many people to obtain.

Meanwhile, American military bases had supplies that included canned ham, sausages, bacon and beans. People living near the bases obtained surplus food, leftovers and imported processed meat through several routes.

They combined these unfamiliar Western ingredients with ingredients they already knew—kimchi, garlic, onions, red pepper powder and Korean seasoning.

The result eventually became known as budae jjigae, or “army base stew.”

This history should not be romanticized. The dish was born during a painful period when many Koreans had very little to eat. But it also demonstrates how people adapted to difficult circumstances and transformed available ingredients into a new meal.

Historical illustration of Koreans preparing an early army base stew after the Korean War

From Simple Survival Food to a Korean Comfort Food

Early versions of the dish were not necessarily identical to the budae jjigae served today.

Some accounts describe an earlier stir-fried dish known as budae bokkeum, made by cooking ham, sausage, kimchi and seasoning together. Broth was later added, helping it develop into the bubbling stew now recognized across Korea.

Modern budae jjigae commonly contains:

• Spam or another canned luncheon meat
• Sausages
• Aged kimchi
• Tofu
• Onions and green onions
• Gochujang or red pepper powder
• Baked beans
• Rice cakes
• Ramyeon noodles
• Occasionally a slice of cheese

Not every restaurant uses all these ingredients. Recipes differ between cities, restaurants and families.

Kimchi is particularly important. Without its fermented acidity and Korean seasoning, the dish could simply taste like salty processed meat in broth. Kimchi brings the different ingredients together and turns them into a distinctly Korean stew.

Korean budae jjigae with canned ham sausage kimchi tofu and ramyeon noodles

Why Is Uijeongbu Famous for Budae Jjigae?

Budae jjigae is most closely associated with Uijeongbu, a city north of Seoul where large American military units were stationed after the Korean War.

Restaurants selling the dish began appearing around Uijeongbu’s markets, and the city is now home to a well-known Budae Jjigae Street.

One frequently mentioned restaurant is Odeng Sikdang, which began as a small food stall in 1960 and later became famous for its budae jjigae.

Other areas with a strong American military presence, including Songtan and Pyeongtaek, also developed their own versions.

There is no single recipe that every restaurant follows. Uijeongbu-style budae jjigae often emphasizes a relatively clean and balanced broth, while some Songtan-style versions are known for using more meat, beans and richer American-style ingredients.

These descriptions are general rather than absolute. Individual restaurants prepare the dish differently.

Is Budae Jjigae Really Traditional Korean Food?

Some visitors hesitate to call budae jjigae traditional Korean food because Spam, sausages and baked beans did not originate in Korea.

But food culture is not fixed.

Budae jjigae combines foreign ingredients with the structure of Korean jjigae: a shared pot placed in the center of the table, eaten with rice and seasoned with kimchi, garlic and chili.

It represents a particular period of modern Korean history and the meeting of two food cultures under extremely difficult circumstances.

It may not be an ancient royal dish, but it is unquestionably part of modern Korean food culture.

How to Order Budae Jjigae in Korea

Budae jjigae is usually ordered for two or more people because it is cooked and shared in one large pot.

At many restaurants, you choose the number of servings and then add optional ingredients such as:

• Ramyeon sari: extra instant noodles
• Tteok sari: extra rice cakes
• Ham or sausage sari: additional meat
• Cheese
• Mandu: Korean dumplings

Rice may be included or charged separately.

Allow the stew to boil before eating, but do not wait too long after adding ramyeon. The noodles can absorb the broth and become too soft.

The flavor is usually spicy, salty and rich. Travelers who cannot eat spicy food should understand that removing only the visible chili peppers may not help because the broth itself is seasoned with kimchi and red pepper.

International travelers sharing Korean army stew at a restaurant in Seoul

Spam Is More Than Budae Jjigae in Korea

Budae jjigae is the best-known example, but Koreans use Spam and similar luncheon meats in many other dishes.

You may find it in:

• Kimchi fried rice
• Gimbap
• Dosirak lunch boxes
• Spam mayo rice bowls
• Fried egg and rice meals
• Kimchi jjigae
• Jeon and simple home-cooked side dishes

Spam is also sold in elaborate gift boxes during Chuseok and Seollal.

To foreign visitors, giving canned meat as a holiday present can appear strange. Its meaning is connected to Korea’s postwar history, the former scarcity of meat and its usefulness in everyday cooking.

Read the related article:

Why Is Spam So Popular in Korea? The Story Behind Korea’s Famous Spam Gift Sets

Final Thoughts

Korea did not simply copy the Western way of eating canned meat.

Koreans combined Spam’s salty richness with rice, fermented kimchi, spicy seasoning and the communal tradition of sharing a hot stew. An ingredient once connected to war and scarcity was transformed into a familiar comfort food.

Budae jjigae still carries the memory of Korea’s painful postwar years, but it also tells a story of adaptation.

That is why Spam in Korea is more than cheap canned ham. In the right dish, it becomes a flavor that many Koreans immediately recognize as home.