The SPAM brand has sizzled in millions of kitchens since it was first introduced on July 5, 1937. From the late 1930s to today, the brand has evolved from a wartime delicacy to a trending ingredient on TikTok, a 16,000 square foot museum, a celebrity chef staple, an annual Hawaiian street festival and so much more. The iconic brand is now reflecting on 85 years of recipes, 85 years of memories, and 85 years of cultural celebration—all while looking ahead to what is next.
Jay Hormel and Hormel Foods Corporation introduced the SPAM Brand to the forefront in 1937 with six simple ingredients—pork with ham, salt, water, potato starch, sugar, sodium nitrite. The goal was to create a convenient and affordable protein with an extended shelf life. The SPAM brand got its name from Ken Daigneau, the brother of a Hormel Foods vice president, after he won a contest and $100 for naming the product.