Thick slices placed between glistening white blocks of rice and rolled in crunchy, salty seaweed. Pink slivers floating in a steaming bowl of comforting saimin. Fried pieces of yummy goodness placed next to a mound of eggs and two scoops of rice. Am I making your mouth water yet?

Hawaii residents are very familiar with these delicious images—Spam is just one of those things island residents grow up with, whether it's in the form of a Spam musubi, a savory addition to saimin or as a breakfast meat.

For me, the very thought of the blue can with the gold pull top brings back childhood memories of Grandma making me humungous Spam musubis for lunch. (I can't believe I was able to eat two of those bad boys.) Even now, I still look to Spam as my comfort food fix and you can be rest assured that my pantry, like most, has an ample supply of Spam. Whenever I go through the Long's ad on Sunday morning and see it on sale, I make sure to stock up.

Yes, I love Spam, but for a canned meat that's so near and dear to my heart, I didn't know much about Spam's history or what it's made of. Sure, we've all heard the rumor that Spam stands for “;Spare Parts And More,”; but that's just an urban legend, right?

Originally called “;Hormel Spiced Ham,”; Hormel reintroduced the canned meat as “;Spam”; in 1937. Spam owes its name to Kenneth Daigneau, who suggested it during a New Year's Eve party. There are many speculations and hypotheses as to what Spam stands for, but the official meaning of the name is that it is a portmanteau derived from “;spiced ham.”;

Although Spam was a popular household product in America, it wasn't until World War II that Spam attained the recognition and consumption level it has today. Because Spam was a canned product and required no refrigeration, it was an ideal protein for the military and soon became a staple in K-rations for soldiers. These soldiers introduced the product to communities they went to, including Hawaii, integrating Spam into the local diet.

OK, so we've got the history down, but what is Spam made of? As the name “;spiced ham”; implies, Spam is a pork product, and don't worry, it's not made up of a pig's “;spare parts.”; To put diners at ease, Spam is made out of a blend of pork shoulder and ham, the meat that comes from the pig's shoulders, rump and hind legs.