Spam (food) facts for kids
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| Course | Main course or ingredient |
|---|---|
| Region or state | Minnesota |
| Created by | Hormel Foods Corporation |
| Invented | 1937 |
| Serving temperature | Hot or cold |
| Main ingredients | Pork |
| Other information | A precooked canned meat product |
Spam (also written as SPAM) is a well-known brand of canned meat. It is made from pork and ham by a company called Hormel Foods Corporation. Spam was first introduced in 1937. It became very popular around the world after it was used a lot during World War II. By 2003, Spam was sold in 41 countries and was a registered trademark in over 100 places.
Spam's main ingredients are pork shoulder and ham. It also contains salt, water, modified potato starch (which helps it stick together), sugar, and sodium nitrite (a preservative). When it's cooked in its can at the factory, a natural jelly-like substance called gelatin forms. You can find Spam in different flavors, some with different meats. There are also "lite" and lower-salt versions. Spam is already cooked, so it's safe to eat straight from the can. However, many people cook it more to make it taste even better.
Some people have concerns about Spam's nutrition. It has a good amount of protein, but it also contains a lot of fat and salt.
Spam has become a big part of popular culture. There was a famous comedy sketch by Monty Python where the name "Spam" was repeated many times. This led to the word "spam" being used to describe unwanted electronic messages, especially junk email. Spam is also celebrated at festivals, like the "Spamarama" event in Austin, Texas.
Contents
History of Spam
Hormel first introduced Spam on July 5, 1937. The company wanted to sell more pork shoulder, which was a cut of meat that wasn't selling very well.
A man named Ken Daigneau, whose brother worked for Hormel, won $100 in a competition to name the new product. Hormel says that only a few former company executives know the real meaning of the name. However, many people believe "Spam" is a shorter way of saying "spiced ham." Others think it might stand for "shoulder of pork and ham. "
During World War II, it was very hard to get fresh meat to soldiers on the front lines. Spam became a very common food for U.S. soldiers. They sometimes called it funny names like "ham that didn't pass its physical." Even with these jokes, countries that were badly affected by the war and had strict food rules really appreciated Spam.
Over 150 million pounds of Spam were bought by the military before the war ended.
During and after World War II, Spam was introduced to places like Guam, Hawaii, Okinawa, and the Philippines. It quickly became a unique part of their local diets. Spam was also sold in the United Kingdom because of wartime food rationing and the Lend-Lease Act. British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher even called it a "wartime delicacy." Hormel also sent Spam to the Soviet Union to help their allies. In his memories, Nikita Khrushchev (a Soviet leader) said, "Without Spam, we wouldn't have been able to feed our army."
The one billionth can of Spam was sold in 1959. By 2012, eight billion cans had been sold!
Spam Around the World
United States and Territories
In the United States, Spam was popular because it was affordable, easy to find, and lasted a long time on the shelf. In the 1990s, about 3.8 cans of Spam were eaten every second in the U.S. This added up to almost 122 million cans each year! About 30% of American homes ate Spam. It is sometimes linked to tough economic times because it costs less than other meats.
Spam sold in North America, South America, and Australia is made in Austin, Minnesota. This town is even known as "Spam Town USA"! There used to be a restaurant in Austin, Minnesota, called "Johnny's SPAMarama Menu" that only served Spam dishes.
Hawaii
People in Hawaii eat the most Spam per person in the United States. They buy about 7 million cans of Spam every year! In Hawaii, Spam is seen very differently than on the mainland. Hawaiians sometimes call it "Portagee Steak."
A popular local dish in Hawaii is Spam musubi. This is cooked Spam placed on top of rice and wrapped with a strip of nori (seaweed). It's like a type of rice ball. You can find special kinds of Spam in Hawaii that aren't sold elsewhere, like Honey Spam and Hot and Spicy Spam.
Hawaiian Burger King restaurants started serving Spam in 2007 to compete with McDonald's, which also serves Spam there. Spam is so popular in Hawaii that it's sometimes called "The Hawaiian Steak." Every spring, there's even an annual Spam festival on the island of Oahu called the "Waikiki Spam Jam." Local chefs create new Spam dishes, which are sold at a big street fair.
Guam and the Northern Marianas
In Guam, people eat about 16 cans of Spam per person each year. You can also find Spam on McDonald's menus there. The Spam Games also happen in Guam, where people taste and celebrate the best homemade Spam recipes.
Puerto Rico
In Puerto Rico, a party food called Sandwich de Mezcla is popular. It has Spam, Velveeta cheese, and pimientos mixed into a spread, served between two slices of sandwich bread.
Europe
United Kingdom
After World War II, a company called Newforge Foods was allowed to make Spam in the U.K. Later, in 1998, production moved to the Danish Crown Group.
The United Kingdom has used Spam in many different recipes. Some examples include Spam Yorkshire Breakfast, Spamish Omelette, and Spam Hash. Spam can also be sliced, covered in batter, and deep-fried to make Spam fritters.
Asia
Philippines
In the Philippines, Spam is a very popular food and a cultural symbol. Spam arrived in the islands, like in Hawaii and Guam, because of World War II rationing. Filipinos often eat Spam for breakfast with rice (usually garlic fried rice) and a fried egg. It's prepared in many ways: fried, caramelized, served with sauces, or in sandwiches. It's also used in many fusion cuisine dishes, like Spam burgers, Spam spaghetti, and Spam nuggets.
Spam is popular with all kinds of people in the Philippines, no matter how much money they have. It's even given as a gift during holidays. There are at least ten different kinds of Spam available in the country. About 1.25 million kilograms of Spam are sold there every year. Because Filipinos love it so much, a special version with sugar and annatto (a spice) called Tocino-flavor Spam was made for Filipinos living in the U.S. and Canada. After Typhoon Ondoy hit in 2009, Hormel Foods donated over 30,000 pounds of Spam to help with relief efforts.
China
In mainland China, Hormel decided to sell Spam (Chinese: 世棒; pinyin: Shìbàng) differently. They promoted it as a special, foreign food. They also changed the Spam recipe to have more meat to fit local Chinese tastes. Other companies in China also make canned pork products similar to Spam, which they call "Luncheon Meat" (Chinese: 午餐肉; pinyin: Wǔcānròu).
South Korea
Spam was widely eaten in South Korea during the Korean War. Its popularity led to the creation of the Spam kimbap (a seaweed roll filled with rice and vegetables) in Korean food. Because there wasn't much fish or other traditional kimbap ingredients like kimchi, Spam was added to rice rolls with kimchi and cucumber and wrapped in seaweed. U.S. soldiers also used Spam in South Korea to trade for items or services around their bases.
In South Korea, Spam (Hangul: 스팸; RR: seupaem) is very popular. By 2004, South Korea made and ate more Spam than any other country except the United States.
Spam is also a main ingredient in budae jjigae (부대찌개), which means "army base stew." It's a spicy stew with different kinds of preserved meat or kimchi.
Hong Kong
After World War II, meat was hard to find and expensive in Hong Kong. So, Spam became an easy and affordable choice. This canned meat has been added to dishes like macaroni with fried egg and Spam in chicken soup, and also instant ramen. Today, Spam is still a common food for low to middle-income families in Hong Kong. You can often see cans of Spam in cafes and small restaurants.
Japan
In Okinawa, Japan, Spam is added to onigiri (rice balls) with eggs. It's also a main ingredient in the traditional Okinawan dish chanpurū. A Spam burger is sold by a local fast food chain called Jef. For Spam's 70th birthday in 2007, special cans were sold in Japan because it's so popular, especially in Okinawa.
In early 2014, Burger King in Japan started selling a Spam and Cheese burger for breakfast.
What's in Spam?
The ingredients in Spam can change depending on the flavor and where it's sold. The "Spam Classic" kind has pork with ham, salt, water, modified potato starch, sugar, and sodium nitrite.
Here's a quick look at the nutrition for Original Spam:
- Energy: About 310 calories per 100g serving.
- Protein: 13g (26% of your daily needs).
- Total fat: 27g (41% of your daily needs).
- Saturated fat: 10g (49% of your daily needs).
- Sodium: 1369 mg (57% of your daily needs).
Different Kinds of Spam
The official Spam website lists many different flavors of Spam products. Besides different flavors, Spam is also sold in smaller cans than the usual 12-ounce (340 g) size. You can also buy "Spam Singles," which are single slices of Spam Classic or Lite, sealed in individual pouches, perfect for a sandwich.
Images for kids
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Comparison of Spam with similar products: Spam (L), Treet (C), and Walmart Great Value Luncheon Meat (R)
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Former Spam Museum in Austin, Minnesota
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Facade of new Spam Museum
See also
In Spanish: Spam (alimento) para niños
