Spam is probably one of the best known and perhaps one of the most ridiculed foods in America.

That didn't bother a group of cooks who gathered from around the country in Dallas to whip up their best dishes using the much-panned meat.

At this year's State Fair of Texas, there was fierce competition for the title at the "Great American Spam Championship." All sorts of dishes were prepared, from salads to pasta dishes, using the canned product.

"You can make spam as fancy as you want to. You just have to think outside the can," one competitor said.

Of the 35 contestants, one emerged victorious. Phillip Curtis won $150 for his "Spam-A-Roni Cheese Pizza" -- a pizza topped with spam, macaroni and cheese.

"It feels wonderful," Curtis told Pegasus News. "After 15 years of chasing the elusive blue ribbon, I finally got it. Life is good. The only thing to do now is go to Disneyland."

Spam was created in 1937 by the Hormel Foods Corporation and is made of pork shoulder, ham, salt, water, sugar, and sodium nitrite. Varieties of Spam vary by region and include Spam Classic, Spam Hot & Spicy, Spam Less Sodium, Spam Lite, Spam Oven Roasted Turkey, Hickory Smoked, and Spam Spread.

On average, 3.8 cans of the meat are consumed every second in the U.S.  In addition, Spam is sold in 41 countries worldwide.