Things You Didn't Know About SPAM

Here in Hawaii , SPAM is a house staple fiber , a local quilt food , a cultural mainstay , andthe good part of musubi . No stumble to Hawaii is unadulterated without a perceptiveness of the dear transcribed kernel . It ’s a remarkably versatile intellectual nourishment , and very comforting , especially if you grew up eating it . To further your SPAM Department of Education , we extend ahead and dug up some SPAM - interrelate fact that ’ll take ( almost ) all the mystery story out of our favorite mystery meat .

SPAM is cooked in its own can

First , the six ingredients are mixed together and pumped into each individual can . move down the conveyer belt , the production is sealed , manipulate , cooled , mark , then boxed before shipping out across the globe .

There’s achurch of SPAM

And you , too , can link in on the worship … or , at least , become Facebook friends .

SPAM JAMcelebrates the canned meat in an annual block party in Waikiki

Maybe you ’ve project the Monty Python skit in which two customers sit down at a greasy spoonful , where practicallyall of the card items are meals featuring SPAM . Well , this festival is like the eatery come to biography – only , you love , way better . Each class , the tin center - loving festival shuts down Kalakaua Ave , and local eating house serve up creative junk e-mail dish like SPAM fries , SPAM tacos , junk e-mail ahi katsu , SPAM lau lau , SPAM chips , SPAM mac & cheese , SPAM noggin … even SPAM afters . The result features two stage with live amusement , Spam ware , and island - made products , while mascotsSir Can - A - LotandSpammyroaming the roads , quick for exposure ops . Over 25,000 attend the event annually , and agree to Hormel broker Scott Gamble , " a plenty of tourist that come to the island program their trip each twelvemonth around the issue . It gives them an opportunity to come out here and keep their love for the brand and be in Hawaii for holiday . "

Outside of the United States, South Korea is the largest market for SPAM

Although SPAM has been around for 79 years , Hormel Foods SPAM example Jen Nolander says it ’s comparatively new in some outside markets . In South Korea , SPAM is given in high - end giving packs around the holidays .

SPAM was born in the 1920s, but wasn’t introduced to the world until 1937

Jay Hormel develop the concept of SPAM back in the late twenties , but due to the thriftiness ’s porc supplying shortage , the launch was delay and rolled out a decade after , achieving an 18 % securities industry part in its first twelvemonth .

It was named at a New Year’s Eve party

In 1936 , Jay Hormel held a contest and asked everyone at the company to do up with a name for his new terminate product . An actor from New York name Kenneth Daigneau come up with the win suggestion , but agree to Nolander , " there are n’t any hard facts about what ‘ SPAM ’ actually stood for in his brain . mass speculate that he took the first two varsity letter of ‘ spiciness ’ and the last two letters of ‘ ham , ’ and put them together to make SPAM . "

Over 100 million cans of SPAM were shipped overseas during World War II

SPAM trifle a big part in nourishing military personnel during the war , when 15 million cans of Hormel product were embark abroad per workweek … mostly SPAM . When the brand name celebrated its seventy-fifth anniversary 50 class ago , President Dwight D. Eisenhower wrote to Hormel Foods , " I eat my share of SPAM , along with trillion of soldier . I ’ll even profess to a few unkind input about it . As former Commander in Chief , I formally forgive you your only sin : sending us so much of it . "

The Hormel Girls promoted SPAM after World War II

The SPAM blade ’s first try at existential advertising in 1945 featured an all - missy group of veterans and servicewomen . The girls traveled the country , singing , dancing , and playing official document , often travel in a mathematical group of 25 whitened Chevrolets … all to trade Hormel products . By 1948 , the group contain 60 women , a 16 - piece orchestra , and its own radio show , but disband in 1953 as the television age slow down radio receiver hearing .

One SPAM plant produces 350 cans per minute

It ’s a good thing so much SPAM can be whipped up so cursorily , because Hormel Foods figure that 12.8 cans of SPAM Cartesian product are consumed per second .

Over 8 billion cans have been sold worldwide

The knockout - to - perish product has been around for 79 years , and is now sell in over 44 state .

You can follow SPAM on The SPAMERICAN! Tour all summer long

For the 2nd year , the SPAMERICAN ! Food Truck Tour is hitting the route , traveling to 16 towns across the United States . This year , SPAM is partnering with Operation Gratitude , an establishment that institutionalize care package to servicemen and -women . For every letter of thanks written on tour and online , SPAM will donate one dollar bill to the governance , and will admit a letter in a care software . In lawsuit all that chirography makes you banal , local chefs will roil out complimentary originative SPAM recipes like SPAM corn dogs , SPAM bahn mi , or cinnamon - crusted SPAM with apricot jam drizzle .

“Weird Al” Yankovic commemorated SPAM in song

To the melodic phrase of R.E.M ’s " Stand , " Weird Al sings about SPAM addiction … much like Sam - I - Am eats green eggs & ham .

Hawaii leads the nation in SPAM consumption

It ’s much mutual noesis that islanders love SPAM – in fact , we deplete about 7 million buns of the stuff a year .

The Broadway musicalSpamalotinspired special collector’s edition flavors

Monty Python has spoofed SPAMfor decades . So in 2004 , whenSpamalot , the " lovingly ripped off " live melodic ofMonty Python and the Holy Grailopened on Broadway , Hormel Foods release a new , limited - variant flavor , SPAM Golden Honey Grail . And whenSpamalotopened in West End , Hormel ’s response was to release a particular collector ’s edition tin of Stinky French Garlic SPAM , of course . Adorned with knights covering their nose , the can read , " Actually made in Denmark with Taiwanese garlic . " And in case you escape it , you’re able to still buyan unopened case of Golden Holy Grail for a mere $ 200 on eBay .

SPAM is the most requested item at the Hawaii Food Bank

Proceeds from the SPAM Jam in Hawaii go to the food bank , and Gamble says canned protein is its No . 1 request , and out of that , SPAM is the No . 1 plectron .

There’s a museum dedicated to SPAM

The first SPAM museum opened in 2001 , but close temporarily in SPAM ’s hometown of Austin , MN . It was then relocated to the affectionateness of Downtown , amongst shopping and restaurants . The newSPAM Museumis 14,000sqft of junk e-mail glory , featuring junk e-mail story and interactive galleries where you could learn everything you ever wanted to know about the canned meat delicacy .

The “mystery meat” isn’t really all that so mysterious

The ingredients are list decently on the can . According to Nolander , what you see is what you get . SPAM Classic comprise of just six mere component : pork with ham ( so , like , pig chopped up with more fuzz ) , salt , water , sugar , white potato amylum , and sodium nitrite , which helps uphold the quality of the product .

You can buy a SPAMcanjo

Of course , this is 29 in of melodic delight , made from a uncontaminating , empty , classic SPAM can and have 10 frets for your sack meat - loving finger , so you could make some fresh , angelic Song .

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summertime Nakaishiis a free-lance writer for Thrillist , and although she has n’t counted , at some point in her life history she know she has lived up to the Hawaii statistic of eating five cans of SPAMper yr … and she ’s bloody proud of it .

Can of spam for sandwich