It became an essential staple in American soldiers’ rations during the Second World War – and today it’s available in 48 nations worldwide. Spam, written as SPAM, was developed by Hormel Foods Corporation in 1937 to boost sales of pork shoulder, an unpopular cut at the time.
Ken Daigneau, whose brother was a Hormel Foods vice president, scooped a competition – along with $100 (£75) – for coming up with the SPAM brand name – but people have been puzzling over what the ‘acronym’ actually means ever since. On Reddit, one baffled user posted: “What does the acronym SPAM (meat) mean to you?”
One user guessed: “Shoulder Pork and Meat.”
While someone else chimed in: “Spare Parts of Animal Meat… At least that’s what us kids called it.”
A third person suggested: “Salted Pork Aggregated Meat.”
However, according to the brand itself, SPAM isn’t actually an acronym but rather a portmanteau, a word created by blending two or more words together – similar to how ‘brother’ and ‘romance’ combine to form ‘bromance’.
The brand’s official statement explains: “There are some questions that continually plague man over time.
“Questions like ‘Is there intelligent life beyond Earth?’ And ‘What is the meaning of the SPAM brand name?’ Unfortunately, we can provide answers to neither.
“The significance of the SPAM brand name has long been a subject of speculation. One popular belief says it’s derived from the words ‘spiced ham.’
“The real answer is known by only a small circle of former Hormel Foods executives. And probably Nostradamus.”
Having heard SPAM’s possible explanation before, one user said: “It’s a portmanteau, not an acronym, isn’t it? Spiced ham?”
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Another user added: “Spiced ham. Originally that’s what it’s called but people came up with dumb names for it: ‘specially preserved army meat’ and ‘American meat’.”
Putting an end to another myth, SPAM shared the ingredients that go into making its distinctive tinned pork product. “Ah, the age-old question; what is the meat in that special can of SPAM Classic?
“Many myths abound, but the answer is actually quite simple,” a statement adds. “Six simple ingredients – pork with ham, salt, water, potato starch, sugar and sodium nitrite.”