As soon as that first drop of fat hits the frying pan, the smell of nostalgia fills the kitchen. If you grew up in a Pacific Island household, you can probably conjure it up wherever you are.

It's the smell of corned beef, spam, bully beef – whatever you call it, those tins of salty, pink jellied meat have become a staple across the islands.

But exactly how did corned beef gain such cultural clout in the Pacific?

It's a world away from the fresh fish and taro our ancestors would have eaten, but somehow now it's gifted by the case to mark significant occasions.

Is there hope for those of us who love to cook with it, but who also want to stay healthy enough to share the tradition with the next generation?

You'll hear from Michel Tuffery, the artist who built giant bull statues out of corned beef tins; and Dr Heena Akbar, a lecturer in public health at University of Queensland, on why the contents of those tins is so detrimental.

Culture Compass is the show about survival, revival and connection in the Pacific, where we navigate the past and present.

Culture Compass was produced by Deadset Studios for ABC Radio Australia.