Spam Musubi

You don’t need to fly to Hawaii to try this tasty authentic Hawaiian Spam Musubi. With this easy recipe you can make it yourself at home

What is Spam Musubi?

OK, I know what you are thinking right now.  What the heck is Musubi?  Maybe the next thing you are thinking is “EW…SPAM!”  Am I right? The only people who might know what this is are those of you visiting this site from Hawaii or another Pacific island (I’m sure you know exactly what Spam Musubi is).

For those of you who have never lived in or visited Hawaii, allow me to enlighten you for a moment. Spam became increasingly popular in Hawaii after WWII, it was sent to the troops stationed in Hawaii and kind of spread from there.  It was cheap.  It was easy to cook.  And it still is!  It is actually one of the staple foods there still today.

What is Spam?

Spam is a canned meat made mostly with ham.  When I lived in Hawaii I had SPAM all the time, mainly because it was pretty much all I could afford. I had it for breakfast with eggs and rice. I had it for dinner with noodles and rice. And for lunch, I made this Spam Musubi. You can buy Spam Musubi in Hawaii at any grocery store or gas station.  On the mainland, it is available in most grocery stores where you buy canned meats.

I know you are skeptical, I was too until I tried it. Even if you aren’t the biggest fan of SPAM, this is worth a try! I made it for some of my family members last week and they all were pleasantly surprised by how good it was. Think of it as a Hawaiian hot dog… really, it’s good! Don’t knock it til you try it!

Ingredients

·         12 ounces Spam

·         1/4 cup oyster sauce

·         1/4 cup soy sauce

·         1/2 cup sugar

·         Nori roasted seaweed used for sushi, cut into halves or thirds (I cut it into thirds to make it go further)

·         5-6 cups cooked sushi rice WITHOUT the vinegar mixture added

Instructions

1.     Slice the SPAM into about 8-10 slices (depending on how thick you like it) and put in a Ziplock bag.

2.      Mix oyster sauce, soy sauce and sugar until sugar is dissolved and add to the bag with the SPAM. Marinate for about 15 minutes.

3.     Drain off marinade and fry SPAM on each side over medium heat until slightly crispy or until desired doneness. Some people like to glaze the SPAM with the marinade/sauce AFTER frying, either way tastes great! 

4.     Place a strip of nori on a cutting board or clean surface (shiny side down). 

5.     Place your Musubi mold across the middle of the nori (so if you folded up the sides of the nori, it would wrap around the middle of the can)

6.     Add rice to the mold, pressing down firmly and evenly, so there is about 1-1 1/2 inches of rice (if the rice starts to stick to the mold too much, dip it in water. You will notice you will have to dip your fingers in water quite a bit because the rice is so sticky. I usually just keep a bowl of water right next to where I am working.)  

7.     Next, remove the mold from the rice. Now you will have a nice little block of rice right on the nori.

8.     Add some of the cooked spam to the top. Wrap up one side of the nori and stick it to the top of the SPAM, then wrap up the other side. Just like you are wrapping a nice little package. Use a little water on your finger to seal if needed. Serve warm.

9.     Some like it dipped in soy sauce, some like it with ketchup, and some like it as is. You will just have to try it all the different ways and decide for yourself which way you like it best.

Recipe Notes

If you are making a lot and saving it. Wrap individually in some plastic wrap and keep it in the fridge for up to a week. When you are ready to eat it, unwrap and place in the microwave for 15-20 seconds.

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