Special Sub-Topic: All About SPAM Click Here To Play: All About SPAM

Launched in 1937 by the Geo. A. Hormel Company of Austin, Minnesota, what was the original name given to SPAM?

Hormel Spiced Ham. The original advertising jingle for SPAM was "SPAM, SPAM, SPAM, SPAM, Hormel's new miracle meat in a can. Saves time, tastes fine, to eat something grand as for SPAM." Not that catchy but it obviously worked.

The company decided to change the name of their product and held a competition to rename the product. The winner, Kenneth Daigneau, came up with SPAM from SPiced and hAM, and pocketed $100, but what official reason did the Hormel company give for what the acronym SPAM stood for?

Shoulder Pork and Ham. The acronym was supposedly changed in 2000 to Specially Processed Assorted Meat, as the company released chicken SPAM too. But the official acronym is still shoulder pork and ham.

The original ingredients of SPAM have not changed much over the years. Which of the following was not one of the original ingredients listed on a tin of SPAM?

Sweetener. The actual list was: Chopped pork shoulder meat with ham meat added, salt, water, sugar, and sodium nitrite. Sodium nitrite is a colour fixative and a meat preservative, if you were wondering.

SPAM, having been part of military life since the second world war, has been to many war zones, but it was taken off the menu in one particular war. Which one?

Gulf War. The reason being that pork is a forbidden food in Saudi Arabia and the Saudi authorities would not permit it on the menu.

Which American state eats more tins of SPAM per head than any other?

Hawaii. Hawaiians are by far the most abundant eaters of SPAM, whether it be in its 12-ounce original tin or its more recent, pocket-sized, 7- ounce tin.

There are many different varieties of SPAM nowadays. Which of the following is not an actual variety?

Barbeque flavoured SPAM. There is also SPAM lite for the health concious, but there is always good old fashioned, original SPAM.

Which former Russian president, talking about after his troops had returned from war, was quoted as saying "Without SPAM we wouldn't have been able to feed our army"?

Nikita Kruschev. The information comes from Kruschev's book "Kruschev Remembers", in which he states that his army was kept alive during World War 2 because of it. Margaret Thatcher was also quoted as saying "SPAM was a war-time delicacy".

After the second world war was over, who wrote to Hormel saying "I ate my share of SPAM along with millions of other soldiers, I'll even confess to a few unkind words about it - uttered during the strain of battle you understand. But as the former commander-in-chief of the allied forces, I believe I can still officially forgive you for your only sin: sending us so much of it."

President Eisenhower. It became a favourite of the military cooks in World War 2 as it was a good source of protein, it was convenient, and easy for the troops to digest.

By the end of the 20th century, around how many cans of SPAM had been sold throughout the world?

5 billion. Laid end to end, the 5 billion cans would circle the globe around 12 and a half times. (It's quite sad that I know that actually...I do have a life you know...) At the end of the 20th century the plant in Austin was capable of producing 450 cans of SPAM a minute.

An easy one now - hopefully. Which comedy series is famous for its infamous SPAM sketch? 'SPAM, SPAM, SPAM, Eggs and SPAM' and 'Lobster thermidor aux crevettes with a Mornay sauce garnished with truffle pate, brandy, and a fried egg on top and SPAM'.

Monty Python. The SPAM song was welcomed by the manufacturers and Michael Palin recalled "The SPAM people were very keen and promised they would send us several free tins of SPAM. We said 'No that's all right. Thanks anyway'".