That said, the subject of the famous letters has been debated for decades. Time reported that one Ken Daigneau, the brother of a Hormel executive, dreamed up the word SPAM as a portmanteau (a word combining the meanings of two others) for spiced ham during a naming contest, thereby winning a $100 prize (a not-insignificant sum in the late 1930s).
Company founder Jay Hormel told New Yorker writer Brendan Gill back in 1945: “I knew then and there that the name was perfect.”
As luck would have it, the ingredients of SPAM are not nearly so difficult to get clued in on. The New York post claim they entail a simple assemblage of pork, water, salt, potato starch, sugar, and sodium nitrate.
The Hormel Foods website explains that: “Toward the end of the Great Depression, SPAM helped fill a huge need for inexpensive meat products. And its popularity only grew.”
Its importance was then cemented during the Second World War, and it remains a popular food stable today.
How is SPAM made?
I doubt I am the only one here who was curious as to what SPAM is actually made of. I’ve heard my share of horror stories over the years, and though none of them have ever convinced me to stop eating the stuff, I must admit I’ve had periods where I’ve wondered if there was some mystery ingredient I should be aware of.
Turns out that method of producing SPAM is just as simple as the ingredient list. Hormel Foods say that ground-up pork and ham are mixed with the other ingredients for 20 minutes. They’re then put into cans, which are in turn vacuum-sealed. Then the cans are cooked and then cooled for three hours, after which time they’re ready to receive their iconic labels.
Do you eat SPAM? Did you know how it was produced, what it’s made from, and what it stands for? Let us know!
