The Beloved Hawaiian Recipe That Will Never Leave My Rotation

In Hawaii, we eat a lot of Spam. Like, almost 7 million cans of the processed pork product a year — more than any other state. We fry up slices to eat with eggs, toss strips of it into saimin (a noodle soup beloved in Hawaii), and add small chunks to fried rice. Even McDonald’s serves Spam for breakfast.

But by far, the most popular way we consume the canned meat is in musubi form.

Spam musubis are ubiquitous to the Islands, popular at potlucks and found in just about every convenience store, drive-in and supermarket. There’s even a National Spam Musubi Day — August 8 — to honor the popular local snack.

Why You’ll Love It

• It tastes like Hawaii (without having to fly there!) You probably won’t find Spam musubi sold anywhere but in Hawaii — but you don’t have to be in the islands to make it. You can get all of the main ingredients — soy sauce, brown sugar, rice, seaweed and, of course, Spam — wherever you live.

• It’s portable. That’s the beauty of this snack: It’s handheld and easy to eat, especially if you’re on the go.

• The recipe is low-fuss and can easily be modified to whatever ingredients you have. Don’t have mirin? You don’t need it. You want to use brown rice, instead? Go ahead. Just make adjustments for taste and texture to your liking.

The History of Spam Musubi

Spam became popular in Hawaii during World War II, when troops introduced the canned meat — its long shelf life made it a wartime staple — while stationed in the islands. From there, it took off.

The origin of the Spam musubi is, though, less clear. Some credit a Japanese-American woman from Kauai for inventing it; others say the snack — a slice of grilled Spam on a bed of white rice and wrapped together with seaweed, or nori, similar to Japanese onigiri — was created in Japanese internment camps during the war.

One thing’s for certain: the Spam musubi has lasting power, and it continues to be one of the most popular snacks in Hawaiʻi.

Key Ingredients in Spam Musubi

• Spam: It’s in the name. The preferred flavor is the original, since you’ll be creating a marinade for it. Since we’re adding soy sauce (see below), which is salty, I opt for the 25% less sodium version of Spam.

• Soy sauce: There’s really no substitute for the umami from this Asian sauce. If you need a gluten-free alternative, try tamari, which is richer in flavor and less salty.

• Short- or medium-grain white rice: Traditionally, musubi is made with short-grain white rice. Brown rice can be substituted, but is not preferred. (The rice needs to be sticky to hold the musubi together.) Jasmine rice is a hard no.

• Roasted seaweed sheets: Called nori, these sheets are what keep the musubi together. You want to get the full sheet of seaweed — the one used for sushi rolls — and not the smaller snack packs. These can be purchased at your local Asian grocer or online. Korean-style nori sheets, which are slightly more salty, are great, too.

How to Make Spam Musubi

1. Make the glaze. This can be done ahead of time. The Spam doesn’t need to marinate in it.

2. Fry the Spam. Though Spam is already precooked, browning it improves its texture and flavor.

3. Use a musubi mold. This is how you create the iconic rectangular shape of a Spam musubi. Add rice and a slice of Spam to the mold, then place over a strip of roasted seaweed. Wrap the musubi tightly with the nori. If you don’t have a mold, you can also use the Spam can.

Helpful Swaps

• You can use either brown or white sugar. Brown sugar gives the glaze a deeper, more caramelized flavor, but white sugar in the same amount works, too.

• You can use premade sauces or marinades, too. L&L Hawaiian Barbecue, a Hawaii-based chain restaurant, sells its Spam musubi marinade online.

• For a gluten-free alternative, use tamari instead of soy sauce.

Storage and Make-Ahead Tips

• The glaze can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge.

• Spam musubi can be refrigerated and reheated in a microwave, but it won’t taste as good as if eaten immediately or within a few hours.

Before You Make Spam Musubi, a Couple Tips

• Don’t season the rice. Some recipes call for seasoning the rice with vinegar and sugar to create sushi-style rice. That’s not how we make our Spam musubi in Hawaii.

• Try other Spam flavors. Feel free to experiment with other Spam flavors, like teriyaki or the new gochujang. If you do, skip or adjust the glaze.

More Hawaiian Recipes to Try

• Shoyu Chicken

• Huli Huli Chicken

• Hawaiian Butter Mochi

Hawaiʻi-Style Spam Musubi Recipe

A super-simple snack that’s ubiquitous in Hawaiʻi.

Prep time 20 minutes

Cook time 10 minutes

Serves 8

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup soy sauce

• 1/4 cup packed light or dark brown sugar

• 2 tablespoons mirin (optional)

• 2 teaspoons neutral oil, such as canola or vegetable

• 1 (12-ounce) can SPAM luncheon meat, preferably 25% less sodium

• 2 sheets roasted sushi nori (seaweed), cut into fourths lengthwise

• 4 to 5 cups warm cooked short- or medium-grain white rice

• 2 teaspoons furikake (optional)

Equipment

• 1

  SPAM musubi mold, or line the empty SPAM can with plastic wrap and use that as a mold

Instructions

Show Images

1. Whisk 1/4 cup soy sauce, 1/4 cup packed brown sugar, and 2 tablespoons mirin if using together in a small bowl.

2. Remove the SPAM block from the can and lay it on its bigger flat side. Cut lengthwise into 8 (about 3/8-inch-thick) slices. Heat 2 teaspoons neutral oil in a large frying pan over medium heat until shimmering. Add the SPAM slices in a single layer and fry until browned and crisp, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.

3. Wipe out the pan with a paper towel. Add the soy sauce mixture and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low, return the SPAM slices to the pan, and cook until the sauce thickens and coats the slices, about 1 minute per side. Remove the pan from the heat.

4. Assemble the musubis one at a time: Lay 1 nori strip on a work surface or cutting board with a shorter side closer to you. If using a musubi mold, place it perpendicular across the middle of the nori strip. Fill the mold with 1/2 to scant 2/3 cup of the warm cooked rice, then press it firmly and evenly into the mold. If using the empty SPAM can, fill it with rice, then press it firmly and evenly into the bottom of the can. Flip it out of the can and place the rice perpendicular across the middle of the nori strip.

5. Sprinkle the rice with 1/4 teaspoon of the furikake if using. Top with a slice of SPAM. Remove the musubi mold if needed. Wrap the rice and SPAM tightly with the nori strip, sealing the edges with a dab of water if needed. Eat immediately or wrap each musubi in plastic wrap and eat within 2 hours.

Further Reading

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