Why Is It Called Spam, Anyway?

What Is SPAM Made Of?

Despite its “mystery meat” nickname, SPAM actually contains only six ingredients:

Pork (including ham)

Water

Salt

Sugar

Potato starch

Sodium nitrite (a preservative)

Surprisingly straightforward! The pork and ham are ground, combined with the rest of the ingredients, and left to sit for 20 minutes to bind.

After that:

The mixture is packed into vacuum-sealed cans.

The cans are boiled, then cooled for three hours.

Finally, they’re labeled and ready for sale.

And that’s it—no mystery, just meat.