Food - Drink
What Does The Name SPAM Really Stand For?
By CHRIS SANDS
Requiring no refrigeration, lasting for years, and consisting of pork shoulder and potato starch, SPAM is a fascinating food product. However, its best-by-date and ingredient list aren’t the most interesting things about the meat product, and perhaps the most fascinating thing about SPAM is its strange, catchy name, which was reportedly invented by an obscure actor.
The name SPAM was originally a shortened version of "spiced ham," which is strange given the product's lack of both spice and ham. Even more interesting, the name was created by actor Ken Daigneau before he ever even tasted the product, because he liked how the name sounded and just happened to have a brother working as an executive for Hormel, the producer of SPAM.
When the name SPAM made its way from Daigneau to his brother at Hormel, the catchy name stuck, and Daigneau was reportedly paid $100 for his creativity. In the years since, fans have made sense of the name by attributing to it the meaning "shoulder of pork and ham" which more accurately represents the product than the spiced ham portmanteau.