11 Interesting Facts About Minnesota’s Tribute to Canned Meat, aka “Guggenham”

A Meaty Slice of American History

The SPAM Museum in downtown Austin, Minnesota takes up 14,000 square feet of canned meat. The museum first opened its doors in 1991 and moved to 3rd Avenue NE after major renovations in 2016.

The museum, nicknamed ‘Guggenham,’ shows how this simple canned meat has grown into a global food icon, with more than 8 billion cans sold worldwide. Strange as it sounds, it’s actually one of the most interesting places to visit in the state.

Origins of the Name SPAM

The name ‘SPAM’ is a combination of ‘spiced’ and ‘ham.’ Jay Hormel, the CEO of Hormel Foods, held a contest in 1937 where Ken Daigneau (an actor and friend of a Hormel executive) won the company contest by suggesting the name ‘SPAM’ during a New Year’s Eve party. He offered a $100 prize to the winner.

SPAM’s Role in World War II

During World War II, Allied troops received more than 100 million pounds of SPAM in their rations. Soldiers wrote letters home about eating SPAM during tough battles in the Pacific. Hormel kept a ‘scurrilous file’ of hate mail from soldiers complaining about eating SPAM three times a day.

The museum has built an exact copy of a military mess hall, complete with the original pots and pans that cooks used to prepare SPAM meals for troops.

Different Countries Enjoy SPAM

The museum features a ‘World Market’ exhibit showcasing SPAM’s presence in 44 countries. You can view SPAM cans with labels in multiple languages. Use touch screens to learn interesting facts.

In Japan, SPAM is often used in bento boxes while South Korea eats more SPAM per person than any country except the United States. The Hawaii section has local dishes like SPAM Musubi, while Guam displays how islanders love using SPAM in their traditional foods.

Experience Working in a SPAM Factory

The museum has set up real conveyor belts to show you what it’s like to work in a SPAM factory. Workers make 350 cans every minute.

A conveyor belt exhibit transports 780 cans of SPAM around the museum for 18 minutes. Screens show your score compared to actual factory workers and tell you how many cans you could make in a day. An interactive assembly line exhibit allows visitors to simulate the canning process.

The Original SPAM Recipe Stays Protected

A heavy vault door weighing 4,000 pounds keeps the 1937 SPAM recipe safe. While everyone knows SPAM contains pork with ham, salt, water, and sodium nitrite, the exact mix of spices remains a company secret.

They added potato starch to the recipe in 2009 to eliminate the gelatin layer formed during cooking. Nearby screens show a timeline of how the recipe has stayed the same since it was first created.

Ads Tells SPAM’s Story Through Time

The museum keeps more than 300 original SPAM advertisements from 1937. Each ad shows what life was like in America during different times, from saving food during the Great Depression to quick meals in modern kitchens.

You can watch 70 years of SPAM TV commercials, including some rare ones from other countries. One vintage recording shows the 1963 UK SPAM commercial in its exhibits.

Try to Stack SPAM Cans As High as You Can

You have the opportunity to stack SPAM cans, with the current record standing at 38 cans. Special stations let visitors practice their stacking skills. Electronic sensors measure how tall your stack is and how steady it stays. Photos on the wall show amazing stacking records, including one tower that stood for 12 hours and 34 minutes.

Link to Native American Trading

After World War II, SPAM was often used as a barter item in many Native American communities. The museum has built an exact copy of an old trading post, complete with real trading books.

The display includes traditional Navajo and Lakota cooking ideas that use SPAM. Old photos and recorded stories tell how SPAM became part of everyday meals on reservations across North America.

Radio Room’s Broadcasting Past

In the radio room, visitors can see the actual 1946 RCA microphone used to record the first SPAM jingle about ‘The Meat of Many Uses.’ The room plays old SPAM radio ads that have been fixed up so they sound clear today.

You can use an old-style control board to make your SPAM commercial with real sound effects. The room also keeps the actual scripts that famous radio hosts used when they talked about SPAM.

Modern SPAM Factory

Today’s SPAM factory in Austin, Minnesota achieved a significant milestone by reducing water usage by 119 million gallons in 2020.

Hormel Foods has reported a 4.4% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions as part of their sustainability efforts. Screens in this exhibit show how much energy the factory uses and how it reduces waste.

The factory has made its packaging better for the environment, using 27% less plastic than before.

SPAM in Movies and TV Shows

The museum’s entertainment room shows clips from 150 different movies and TV shows while a computer lets you search through all the times SPAM has appeared on screen.

The entertainment room offers interactive elements, such as a SPAM-themed game inspired by Monty Python’s ‘Spamalot.’ The display includes real movie props, like the SPAM can from the TV show ‘MASH’ and another from ‘Extraordinary Attorney Woo.’