Guide Note

Sometimes touted as "mystery meat," the ingredients of Spam, a precooked processed meat, are not mysterious at all. Classic Spam is made from ham, pork, sugar, salt, water, potato starch and sodium nitrite. It is usually prepared by being warmed up in a frying pan and then made into a sandwich.

Fast Facts

1. Created in 1937
2. Manufactured by Hormel Foods
3. Erroneously referred to as "Something Posing as Meat"
4. Made from pork
5. Some varieties made with chicken and turkey
6. Very popular in Guam and Hawaii
7. 90 million cans sold every year in the U.S.
8. Precooked
9. Frying, grilling, baking are common ways to heat before eating

Spam has earned a place in the pop culture hall of fame for spawning many urban legends about its mysterious contents, and its unusual name. The name was invented by a man who entered a contest held by Hormel to rename their "Hormel Spiced Ham" product. Monty Python pushed Spam into the cultural fore, with a sketch that takes place at a diner where everything on the menu comes with Spam. That sketch, with the word "Spam" being repeated into oblivion, led to the term being used to describe unwanted email messages, and further, unsolicited ad heavy web content. In that context, spam is spelled without capitalization.