When the smell of spam sizzling fills the kitchen, I’m instantly home. It’s more than just a snack to me, it makes me feel like a kid again. Growing up close to my Hawaiian culture, this was the food of my childhood. Like I’m back watching my Dad wrap individual spam musubi for the family to grab and go.
My great-grandmother was Hawaiian and even worked in the Dole pineapple factory, but I didn’t grow up knowing that side of her life. What I did know was her warmth and the way she helped raise me. Her presence grounded our family. She passed down her rhythm in the kitchen and so many great Hawaiian dishes, but more importantly, a sense of tradition. My parents kept the musubi alive in our home. It was cooked often, always the same, and always wrapped and ready to go.
There are lots of great ways to cook spam, but for me, spam musubi isn’t just Hawaiian food — it’s history and family all wrapped up in seaweed. Spam, rice, and seaweed- it’s simple, but it’s also how I’ve held onto who I am.
Spam musubi is a real treat when fresh and warm, but it also keeps well. Wrap extras in plastic wrap and store them in the fridge. They’re still delicious cold and make the perfect little taste of Hawaii to take with you.
For an extra touch, you can drizzle extra soy sauce and sugar glaze over the rice or serve the musubi with eel sauce on the side for dipping. Either one of these adds a sweet and savory boost. You could even layer in a thin cooked egg too.
The Spam Musubi I’ve Been Eating Since Childhood
Ingredients
Instructions
- Rinse the rice well, then cook according to package instructions. Once it’s done, let it cool slightly so it’s easier to handle.
- Cut the spam into 8 to 10 thick slices. You can even use a spam slicer (similar to an egg slicer) or just a sharp knife. In a plastic bag, mix soy sauce and sugar. Place the spam slices in the mixture and let them marinate for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place the marinated spam on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes, flipping it halfway through. The glaze should caramelize and turn slightly sticky and glossy. When slightly browned, it’s done.
- Lay out your cutting board, nori sheets, musubi mold (if using), and a small bowl of water to wet your fingers to prevent sticking.
- Lay down a strip of nori. Place musubi mold on top and add a layer of rice. Sprinkle furikake on the rice and then add baked spam. Remove the mold and wrap the nori around the musubi. Wet the edge slightly to seal.