Is There A Difference Between Spam And Bologna?

Within the rich, varied, and high sodium world of processed meats, two products reign supreme: Spam and bologna. These two products are often used as examples of so-called mystery meats. After all, Spam isn't just a meat product but a whole genre of junk communications (spam calls, spam e-mails, etc.). And calling something bologna often indicates a false, made-up nature. 

However, despite these somewhat troubling reputations, both products are beloved by those that truly understand how to make a meal of them. Anyone who has made a fried bologna sandwich or Spam with eggs will attest to their virtues. Even so, the two meat mixes are often, well, clumped together into one congealed being: a singular entity that represents a whole category of food.

This generalization simply isn't fair and, frankly, isn't justified. Though bologna and Spam do share some similarities, they are actually quite different both in origin and composition. In fact, the two products don't even fall into the same category. Spam isn't simply a form of meat, but a branded product made only by Hormel Foods. On the other hand, bologna is a form of sausage that can, and is, made by many different companies. And this is just the start of the differences. To more fully understand these two meats, we must crack into the nitty gritty of each meat product.

Let's start our deep dive into so-called "mystery meat" with Spam. While Spam is often lifted up as an example of overly processed meats with dubious ingredients and origins, this reputation is actually largely unearned. Ok, so a meat product called Spam doesn't exactly evoke a farm fresh image, nor should it, as Spam's origins are more industrial than agricultural. First introduced by Hormel in 1937, Spam was one of many canned products to emerge out of the early 20th century, allowing for many fresh products to be sold en masse, and at a relatively low price point. Spam really took off around World War II, and especially during the Korean War, as its canned, shelf-stable nature made it easy to ship and distribute across the globe. 

Spam has since become a staple in Hawaii, Japan, Korea, the Philippines, and in many American households. It's easy to see why, as there are many ways to cook up a loaf of Spam. But don't go thinking that Spam's contents are as opaque as its name. Just because Spam is an industrial wonder, doesn't meant that its composition is overly complicated or packed with countless fillers. 

In fact, Spam only has seven ingredients total: pork shoulder, ham meat, salt, water, potato starch, sugar, and sodium nitrite, which is a preservative used in many processed meats and sausages. It is important to note that unlike bologna, Spam isn't really a sausage, but is more closely related to scrapple, which is a mush product made from meat scraps and starch. 

Now let's get to how the sausage is made — the sausage in this case being bologna. Unlike Spam, bologna isn't one particular product but is rather a type of sausage that can vary widely in its composition. Bologna can trace its roots to Bologna, Italy. It is a spin-off of the beloved (and ancient) mortadella sausage which is made from cuts of pork mixed in with speckles of lard. In the 17th century, the exact makeup of mortadella became legally defined in order to protect against counterfeit sausage. As a result, sausages made outside of these standards became known as Bologna sausage, as mortadella first came from the city of Bologna.

As it stands now, there is no one single recipe used for bologna. Usually, bologna consists of ground up meat (chicken, pork, beef, and turkey are all common ingredients) and spices that are put into sausage casings and cured. The exact spices and flavoring used in bologna vary based on its producer, as does the quality of meat. Many bologna products contain spices such as mustard seed and celery salt, which gives them a punch of flavor. Myrtle berry is also a popular flavoring in bologna, though it isn't found in every bologna product. Unlike with Spam, bologna can vary widely in flavor and quality, so there is a lot more to explore and try out. You might be surprised at just how varied it can be; it really just depends on whether you can put your pre-conceived notions to the side.