Spam Musubi

Spam Musubi isn't in the healthy category since the main ingredient is Spam but we've included it anyway because it has nori seaweed. It is a yummmmmy Hawaiian treat. In fact, it is so yummy, that Hawaiians consume about four million cans of Spam per year. Now that's a lot of Spam Musubis!

Since not all of us have the chance to go to Hawaii, here's Hawaii on a plate. There are lots of variations of this Spam delicacy :-) but the one we have below is pretty basic.

What you need

3 cups uncooked short-grain (or medium-grain) white rice
4 cups water
6 tablespoons rice vinegar


1 (12 ounce) container fully cooked Spam (don't throw the can!)


1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup mirin
1/4 cup white sugar
5 sheets sushi nori (dry seaweed)
handy to have a Spam Musubi Press

What to do
Wash the rice and place in a saucepan with water, soaking it for thirty minutes. Drain and rinse. Easiest is to cook it in a rice cooker but If you do not have one, place rice and water into a large enough saucepan and cook over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil then put to low fire. Simmer, covered for about 15 minutes. (If you want to add rice vinegar, stir in before you turn off the heat.) Turn off the heat and just leave the pan covered for another fifteen minutes.

While waiting for the rice to cool, we work on the spam!

Cut Spam to about 1/4 inch thick slices. Fry over medium heat until brown and slightly crispy (yum). No need to add oil before frying since Spam contains some oil. When you're done, it is best to put the Spam slices on paper towels to get the excess oils away.

In a small saucepan, add soy sauce, rice wine and sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil using high heat. When done, place the Spam slices in the marinade.

Put a piece of nori on a plate. Then position the Spam Musubi Press at the center of the nori. No Musubi press? Use the empty Spam can (I asked you not to throw it away) by opening both sides - voila! a makeshift musubi mold!

Spread cooked rice across the bottom of the musubi press and, well, press the rice down to make it compact. The thickness of rice is up to you. Place Spam on top of the rice and add rice on top of the Spam, if you want. Remove the Musubi from the press by lifting the mould up and over the stamp-like press.

You've got the rice and Spam stack in front of you. Now it's time to wrap things up, literally, with the nori sheet. Don't forget to wet one end of the nori to make it neatly stick into place.

How about being creative? Take a look at the spam musubi on the left! :-)

Photo courtesy of K Santos

Just in case you're not in the mood to read the cooking instructions, here's a video on the Single Guy Chef's version:

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