Often making jokey appearances in “worst meat” categories, SPAM’s actual recipe happens to be rather simple.
And yes, the name could just as easily apply to all of those annoying unsolicited emails that clog your inboxes. But what, pray tell, is in that blue-and-yellow can?
If you’ve grown up on SPAM or have given it the merest of sideways glares in the grocery-store aisles, somewhere in your mind, you were ruminating upon, “What actually goes into that stuff?” Surprisingly, not a whole lot!
What in the world is SPAM?
Canned meat SPAM was introduced in 1937 and then was soon to become a staple in virtually every pantry all over the world.
Hormel Foods was the mastermind behind the classic meat in Austin, Minnesota. It is still being manufactured there.
From Midwestern origins, SPAM went on to become a worldwide food phenomenon, signaling to the world that even the simplest ingredient can make history.
It came into being during the Great Depression to satisfy a critical need for cheap and protein-rich sustenance. But that’s just the beginning.
“SPAM truly became legendary during the Second World War,” explains James Schend, Taste of Home’s food editor. With its long shelf life and portability, it was the perfect ration shipped to troops across multiple continents.” Wartime necessity gave SPAM ground for international fame-It is now sold in 44 countries around the globe.
The expansion of the line of products is far from the original formula. There are now 15 varieties, perhaps most interestingly, the spicy Jalapeño and savory Teriyaki.
The marketing power of SPAM has sold over 8 billion cans, and its impact on culture is enormous. It also has a legacy, which is preserved in the SPAM Museum in Austin, Minnesota, having opened in 2016 near the original production plant of Hormel Foods.
SPAM is, for better or for worse, a remarkable food-history case study running the length of a mythic journey from Depression-era solution to the global phenomenon. For more such interesting things about origins, try one of these 19 other everyday foods.
One-liners:
- Introduced: 1937 by Hormel Foods
- Headquarters: Austin, Minnesota
- Varieties: 15 different flavors
- Global Reach: Available in 44 countries
- Museum: Opened in 2016 in Austin, MN
What is SPAM actually made of?
Despite the widespread beliefs, SPAM is not a mystery chemical meat. In fact, it has, in total, just six components listed for the product:
Pork & Ham, Water, Salt, Sugar, Potato Starch, Sodium Nitrite.
According to James Schend of Taste of Home, sodium nitrite is a preservative that maintains freshness and quality. Though some may frown upon the use of sodium nitrite, this is a very widespread method of preservation in many cured meats.
The procedure is simple:
1. Mixing the pork and ham with other ingredients.
2. Waiting for 20 minutes to get the signature texture.
3. Cooking it to a specified temperature.
4. Vacuumizing it into the typical blue-yellow cans.
5. Boiling and cooling it for three hours before affixing labels.
SPAM might gain reputation as ‘mystery meat,’ but perhaps its simplicity in formulation and high transparency about the procedures used for producing it would change minds regarding this
pantry staple. The next time you see that can with much nostalgia, remember – what you will primarily be getting is just seasoned pork in its most economic and shelf-stable form.
