Spam musubi is a very popular snack and lunch food in
HawaiiHawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states, and is the only state made up entirely of islands. It is located on an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of Australia. The state was admitted to the Union on August...
made in the tradition of Japanese
onigiri, also known as or rice ball, is a Japanese food made from white rice formed into triangular or oval shape and often wrapped in nori . Traditionally, an onigiri is filled with pickled ume , salted salmon, katsuobushi, kombu, tarako, or any other salty or sour ingredient as a preservative...
, also known as a
musubi, also known as or rice ball, is a Japanese food made from white rice formed into triangular or oval shape and often wrapped in nori . Traditionally, an onigiri is filled with pickled ume , salted salmon, katsuobushi, kombu, tarako, or any other salty or sour ingredient as a preservative...
. Spam musubi is composed of a block of salted rice with a slice of
SpamSpam is a canned precooked meat product made by the Hormel Foods Corporation. The labeled ingredients in the classic variety of Spam are chopped pork shoulder meat with ham meat added, salt, water, sugar, and sodium nitrite to help keep its color. Spam's gelatinous glaze, or aspic, forms from the...
(heated or unheated) on top and typically
noriis the Japanese name for various edible seaweed species of the red alga Porphyra including most notably P. yezoensis and P. tenera, sometimes called laver . The term nori is also commonly used to refer to the food products created from these "sea vegetables", similar to the Korean gim...
(seaweed) surrounding it to keep its shape.
A slice of
SpamSpam is a canned precooked meat product made by the Hormel Foods Corporation. The labeled ingredients in the classic variety of Spam are chopped pork shoulder meat with ham meat added, salt, water, sugar, and sodium nitrite to help keep its color. Spam's gelatinous glaze, or aspic, forms from the...
is placed on a block of
riceRice is the seed of a monocot plant Oryza sativa, of the grass family . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East, South, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Latin America, and the West Indies...
and a piece of
noriis the Japanese name for various edible seaweed species of the red alga Porphyra including most notably P. yezoensis and P. tenera, sometimes called laver . The term nori is also commonly used to refer to the food products created from these "sea vegetables", similar to the Korean gim...
(dried seaweed) is wrapped around to hold it together.
Spam musubi is a very popular snack and lunch food in
HawaiiHawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states, and is the only state made up entirely of islands. It is located on an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of Australia. The state was admitted to the Union on August...
made in the tradition of Japanese
onigiri, also known as or rice ball, is a Japanese food made from white rice formed into triangular or oval shape and often wrapped in nori . Traditionally, an onigiri is filled with pickled ume , salted salmon, katsuobushi, kombu, tarako, or any other salty or sour ingredient as a preservative...
, also known as a
musubi, also known as or rice ball, is a Japanese food made from white rice formed into triangular or oval shape and often wrapped in nori . Traditionally, an onigiri is filled with pickled ume , salted salmon, katsuobushi, kombu, tarako, or any other salty or sour ingredient as a preservative...
. Spam musubi is composed of a block of salted rice with a slice of
SpamSpam is a canned precooked meat product made by the Hormel Foods Corporation. The labeled ingredients in the classic variety of Spam are chopped pork shoulder meat with ham meat added, salt, water, sugar, and sodium nitrite to help keep its color. Spam's gelatinous glaze, or aspic, forms from the...
(heated or unheated) on top and typically
noriis the Japanese name for various edible seaweed species of the red alga Porphyra including most notably P. yezoensis and P. tenera, sometimes called laver . The term nori is also commonly used to refer to the food products created from these "sea vegetables", similar to the Korean gim...
(seaweed) surrounding it to keep its shape.
Preparation
A slice of
SpamSpam is a canned precooked meat product made by the Hormel Foods Corporation. The labeled ingredients in the classic variety of Spam are chopped pork shoulder meat with ham meat added, salt, water, sugar, and sodium nitrite to help keep its color. Spam's gelatinous glaze, or aspic, forms from the...
is placed on a block of
riceRice is the seed of a monocot plant Oryza sativa, of the grass family . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East, South, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Latin America, and the West Indies...
and a piece of
noriis the Japanese name for various edible seaweed species of the red alga Porphyra including most notably P. yezoensis and P. tenera, sometimes called laver . The term nori is also commonly used to refer to the food products created from these "sea vegetables", similar to the Korean gim...
(dried seaweed) is wrapped around to hold it together. The Spam can itself is often used as the mold. (Although musubi resembles nigiri
sushiIn Japanese cuisine, ' is vinegar rice, usually topped with other ingredients, such as fish. In spelling sushi its first letter s is replaced with z when a prefix is attached, as in nigirizushi, due to consonant mutation called rendaku in Japanese.Sliced raw fish alone is called sashimi, as...
, its rice is not treated with
vinegarVinegar is an acidic liquid processed from the fermentation of ethanol in a process that yields its key ingredient, acetic acid. It also may come in a diluted form. The acetic acid concentration typically ranges from 4 to 8 percent by volume for table vinegar and higher concentrations for pickling...
.)
Optional ingredients
The Spam musubi in Hawaii has become a classic treat that is recommended by many locals. An optional ingredient to the Spam musubi is a
teriyakiTeriyaki is a cooking technique used in Japanese cuisine in which foods are broiled or grilled in a sweet soy sauce marinade...
sauce that adds depth. It is also optional to add
tamagoyakiA Tamagoyaki is a type of Japanese omelette, which is made by rolling together several layers of cooked egg. These usually are prepared in a rectangular omelette pan called a makiyakinabe....
, soy sauce, as well as
furikakeis a dry Japanese condiment meant to be sprinkled on top of rice. It typically consists of a mixture of dried and ground fish, sesame seeds, chopped seaweed, sugar, salt, and monosodium glutamate. Other flavorful ingredients such as katsuobushi , salmon, shiso, egg, powdered miso, vegetables, etc...
(seasoning) to the rice. Some people cook the Spam in its packing jelly.
Commercial
Spam musubi is appreciated for its taste and portability. A single musubi, usually wrapped in
cellophaneCellophane is a thin, transparent sheet made of regenerated cellulose. Its low permeability to air, oils, greases, and bacteria makes it useful for food packaging...
, can be purchased at small
deliDeli may refer to:* Delicatessen, type of food - Delicacies; Fast food * Delhi, the capital city of India* Deli, Eurovision Song Contest 2008 entry of Turkey* Deli , a previous sultanate at North Sumatra...
-type convenience stores (including
7-Eleven7-Eleven is an international chain of convenience stores and the largest chain store with more than 32,000 outlets operating around the world, surpassing the previous record-holder McDonald’s Corporation by approximately 1,000 retail stores...
stores) all over the Hawaiian islands, ranging in price from $1 to $2. The 7-Eleven stores include a wide variety of flavors, including a regular Spam musubi and a deluxe Spam musubi (with
Furikakeis a dry Japanese condiment meant to be sprinkled on top of rice. It typically consists of a mixture of dried and ground fish, sesame seeds, chopped seaweed, sugar, salt, and monosodium glutamate. Other flavorful ingredients such as katsuobushi , salmon, shiso, egg, powdered miso, vegetables, etc...
). Other variations include a musubi made with fried shrimp instead of Spam.
Spam
musubi rice molds are available at many kitchen stores in Hawaii. These molds are a few inches deep with a width and breadth that matches a slice of Spam. One can cut both ends off a small Spam can, to the same effect.