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Here’s another teaser from our newest new book In the Beginning… Enjoy!
SPAM PART I: The Meat
First, let’s get the ingredients out of the way. SPAM is chopped pork shoulder meat with ham, salt, water, sugar, and sodium nitrite. Unless, that is, it’s SPAM Lite, in which case there’s also some chicken thrown in there. Or SPAM Oven Roasted Turkey, which includes (we assume) turkey and is suitable for Muslims.
Pushing Tin
Now that we know what it’s made of, why? SPAM was invented in the late-Depression era, in 1937, which may explain at least some of why it seemed like a good idea: people were desperate. According to Nikita Khrushchev’s book, Khrushchev Remembers, SPAM was a godsend for another hungry group — Russian soldiers inWorldWar II. For a further illustration of how bad things were, British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher – who we really, really can’t imagine eating SPAM — reportedly once referred to it as a “wartime delicacy.”
More after the jump…
And what does SPAM – sorry, we have to capitalize it that way, Hormel says so – actually stand for? Despite convincing evidence, it doesn’t stand for “something posing as meat.” The company’s official explanation is that it’s short for “spiced ham,” but
that wasn’t always its party line. Hormel has also stated in the past that the name stands for “shoulder of pork and ham,” although we can sort of understand why it wouldn’t necessarily want to drive home the whole shoulder thing today.The name was suggested by Kenneth Daigneau, an actor who received the $100 prize in a contest Hormel had
sponsored. Conveniently, he just happened to be the brother of a Hormel vice president. We think there’s just a little too much mystery in this mystery meat. Then again, SPAM has sold over 6 billion cans, and what have we done lately?
Oh, and if you liked this post, here are some other delicious origins you might want to read about: The Birth of Roller Coaster, The Very Strange Origins of the Dishwasher, A James Bond Story (for your eyes only!), and the Fascinating Tribe behind the original Bungee Jump.
Remember: In the Beginning goes on sale November 1st, and will be available at (respectable) bookstores everywhere!
Comments (4)
Comment
I was always under the impression that it stood for ’spare parts and meat’, hence the need for the all-capitals…Hormel would never cop to that, cause frankly it’s gross, but doesn’t it make sense - its like a hot dog…left overs…ketchup started out that way too, based on an episode on Burt Wolf’s show…things aren’t always what they seem…
Spam Spam Spam, baked beans and Spam…
posted by donner on 10-19-2007 at 9:31 pm
I thought it was “Specially Processed American Meat.” That would work pretty well.
posted by Amy on 10-20-2007 at 12:09 pm
well, it’s no worse than the cans of “ham” you used to be able to get from the government. you know, the white can with a little black pig on the front for those of us, i am assuming, who do not read.
they were pretty tasty fried up with eggs, pity i can’t get them.
my parents told me i was gross for liking that stuff though. lol
suppose spam isn’t much different. good fried up.
posted by Sue on 10-21-2007 at 1:11 pm
In Hawaii and California, you can purchase a tasty item called “SPAM musubi” at your local restaurant (In California, that would be your local Hawaiian restaurant). It’s a nice thick piece of SPAM put on a piece of seasoned sushi rice, and the entire piece is wrapped with a piece of Nori (the Sushi Seaweed stuff they use in rolls). It’s very delicious and tasty. I remember my first SPAM musubi at the Campus Center at the University of Hawaii. I’ve always eaten spam with rice and eggs and such, but never had it so convenient and portable. Yum!
posted by Rose on 11-1-2007 at 8:41 pm