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SPAM: The Ham That Failed Its Physical

© Carey Draeger

Since its introduction in 1937, SPAM, a spiced ham-and-pork product made by Hormel Foods, has been a topic of international conversation. It first gained popularity during World War II because it was nutritious, filling and did not require refrigeration. During the war, Allied troops ate over 100 million pounds of SPAM.

Despite the rumors, SPAM is made of a few simple ingredients: pork shoulder, ham, salt, sugar, sodium nitrate, water and a secret spice mixture. This concoction is then molded into a pink brick of meat and covered with a gelatinous coating. The whole thing is popped into a blue can with yellow lettering and stored on your neighborhood grocer's shelf. How many of us hold the childhood memory of trying to open the can by catching a tiny metal tab with a key and twisting it round and round?

SPAM got its name from a 1936 contest sponsored by Hormel owner Jay C. Hormel, who wanted a name as distinctive as the taste of his new meat product. Kenneth Daigneau, an actor and the brother of a Hormel vice president, came up with the name SPAM by taking the "Sp" from spiced and "am" from ham. His creativity won him the $100 prize.

SPAM's national distribution was heralded by what may be the world's first singing commercial. The lyrics were set to the tune of "My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean," and went "Spam, Spam, Spam, Spam/Hormel's new miracle meat in a can/Tastes fine, saves time/If you want something grand, ask for SPAM." Despite such a clever marketing scheme, it was World War II that gained SPAM the popularity it continues to enjoy today.

During the days of food rationing, SPAM became a home-front substitute for rationed beef. Americans ate SPAM with salads, vegetables, eggs and waffles. They baked it, broiled, fried it and grilled it for any meal of the day. The U.S. Army bought (and continues to buy) tons of the stuff for its troops.

GIs made up countless jokes about SPAM. They called it "the ham that didn't pass its physical." One U.S. Air Force unit stationed in the South Pacific named their island jungle Spamville. The renowned journalist Edward R. Murrow reported in 1942 that while Christmas in London "will not be lavish, there will be SPAM luncheon meat for everyone." Former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher remembered SPAM as a "wartime delicacy," shared on Boxing Day 1943 with friends and family. "I can quite vividly remember we opened a tin of SPAM luncheon meat. We had some lettuce and tomatoes and peaches, so it was SPAM and salad."