SPAM’s anniversary comes one day after Americans celebrate our independence. So it’s very fitting that after celebrating with hot dogs and hamburgers, on July 4th, we should go right on and celebrate on July 5th by opening a can of SPAM.
And here is a real puzzle for you – Even after 80 years, no one knows what SPAM stands for. The company says the question is actually in the realm of unanswerable issues like “Is there intelligent life beyond Earth?” Some people say it might be an abbreviation for “spiced meat,” but actually, only a handful of top executives know the real answer and they’re not talking.
Hormel Foods Corporation introduced us to the iconic canned meat on July 5, 1937, launching the canned meat as “The meat of many uses.” In three years time, 70 percent of American households were eating SPAM products. But it was the arrival of World War II and the need for easily transportable protein products that fueled the spread of SPAM’s growth around the world.
As a matter of fact, over 100 million pounds (45 million kilograms) was shipped overseas to feed Allied troops during the war, according to a timeline on the SPAM website.
The ready-to-eat pork product proved to be versatile, have a long shelf life and easy to incorporate into almost any dish, from breakfast to supper. It was praised and scorned, often being labeled as a “mystery meat,” which was totally uncalled for. For the uninformed, SPAM has always contained the same six basic ingredients that include: Pork with ham, salt, water, potato starch, sugar and sodium nitrite, writes Market Place.
SPAM’s popularity continues to grow
After World War II, SPAM remained a staple of the American diet simply because it was cheap and plentiful on the grocery shelf. Its versatility was amazing to behold. Besides slicing it right out of the can to make a quick sandwich, slices could be fried along with eggs for breakfast or decorated with a few other ingredients to make a delicious supper dish.
More uses for the pork product arose as housewives began sharing their recipes in church cookbooks and in newspaper homemaker columns. Hormel even has an annual recipe contest where creative cooks can send in recipes. As a matter of fact, the 2017 recipe competition will be hosted at 26 of the country’s top state and county fairs this year. Anyone interested can call (612) 922-3247 or email statefairteam@blueribbongroup.net.
So how popular is SPAM? you may ask. In 2012, Hormel announced they had sold their eight-billionth can of SPAM product, so put that in your sandwich and eat it. Today, there are 15 varieties of SPAM being sold in 44 countries worldwide, and the canned meat’s appeal shows no sign of waning, with about 12.8 cans of Spam products being consumed worldwide every second.
