Spam

It may have started life in 1936 as "Hormel Spiced Ham," but in 1937 it was renamed "Spam" and in short order became a global icon. World War II spread the salty pork-in-a-can concoction around the globe, where it has found some surprisingly devoted customers over the last 75 years. Hawaiians, for example, eat an average of 5 cans per person annually, while residents of the Pacific Island of Guam average 16 cans apiece. Spam-mania is promoted and documented at the 16,500-square-foot Spam Museum at Hormel Foods' home in Austin, Minnesota.