Spam’s Long March in China

Spam, the canned curiosity made by Hormel Foods, is many things in America—a cult brand, the butt of jokes, the inspiration for a Broadway musical. One thing it’s not: a premium product. Yet that’s how Hormel is positioning Spam in China. Hormel Foods International President Rick Bross touts its “juicy meaty satisfaction,” saying that local luncheon meats have a drier consistency.

A blend of chopped pork shoulder, ham, salt, binders, and preservatives, Spam made its debut in 1937. It’s still one of the top brands in Hormel’s Grocery Products division, which last year accounted for some 15 percent of Hormel’s $7.2 billion in sales. Spam’s overseas revenue has doubled in the past five years as it’s entered markets such as Japan, where slices of Spam are slapped on rice and bundled with seaweed for a dish called spam musubi. Burger King restaurants in Tokyo also sell spam burgers.