Introduced on July 5, 1937, the name “Spam” was chosen when the product, whose original name was far less memorable (Hormel Spiced Ham), began to lose market share. The name was chosen from multiple entries in a naming contest. A Hormel official once stated that the original meaning of the name “Spam” was “Shoulder of Pork and Ham”. According to writer Marguerite Patten in Spam – The Cookbook, the name was suggested by Kenneth Daigneau, an actor and the brother of a Hormel vice president, who was given a $100 prize for coming up with the name. At one time, the official explanation was that the name was a syllabic abbreviation of “Spiced Ham”.
A potted meat food product or potted meat is a method of food preservation, consisting of cooked, canned meat, often creamed, minced, or chipped (as in chipped beef). Various meats such as beef, pork, chicken and turkey are used. It is produced internationally. Its long shelf life and precooking make it suitable for emergency food supplies, and for military and camping uses.