Often joked about as mystery meat, SPAM’s recipe is actually surprisingly straightforward and far from complicated. Sharing its name with those infamous unsolicited emails, SPAM is a canned meat product primarily made from pork and ham.
Whether you’ve been a longtime fan or eyed it skeptically in grocery store aisles, you’ve probably wondered what exactly SPAM is—and the truth is simpler than expected.
Introduced in 1937 by Hormel Foods in Austin, Minnesota, SPAM emerged as an affordable meat option during the tail end of the Great Depression, filling a crucial need for inexpensive, long-lasting protein. Its popularity skyrocketed during World War II, thanks largely to its shelf stability and ease of shipment, making it a staple for troops around the globe.
Today, SPAM is sold in 44 countries and comes in fifteen varieties, including Teriyaki and Jalapeño flavors.
Despite its mixed reputation, more than eight billion cans have been sold worldwide, and the product’s hometown even hosts a dedicated museum. Contrary to some assumptions, SPAM is not a mysterious blend of preservatives and fillers but rather contains only six ingredients listed by the brand: water, salt, sugar, sodium nitrite (a preservative that helps maintain freshness and quality), potato starch, and the meats—ham and pork.
The process involves mixing ground pork and ham with the other ingredients, letting the mixture rest for twenty minutes to bind, then cooking and vacuum-sealing it in cans. After boiling and cooling for a few hours, the cans are labeled and shipped out. This simple yet ingenious process explains why SPAM has endured for nearly a century as a convenient and globally recognized canned meat product.