Spam Musubi

When it comes to handheld snack food, the ballpark hot dog has nothing on the Hawaiian classic Spam musubi. Sticky rice is sprinkled with furikake, topped with glazed Spam, and wrapped in nori for a craveable portable bite that’s just as delicious as a morning pick-me-up as it is a late-night snack. Basically, any time can (and should be!) Spam musubi time.

The origins of Spam musubi are uncertain. While some claim it originated in the Japanese internment camps during World War II, others believe it was created by Japanese-American Barbara Funamura in an effort to incorporate Spam, a popular Hawaiian protein staple, into the familiar context of an onigiri. However it came to be, there’s no denying that Spam musubi has since grown to be one of the most popular snacks in Hawaii. Here’s everything you need to know to make it at home.

How To Make Spam Musubi

Part of Spam musubi’s genius stems from its relative simplicity: There are only a few ingredients, and it doesn’t take very long to make. If you’ve made any type of sushi before, many steps in the process will already be familiar; if you haven’t, never fear! It’s pretty easy, and I’ll tell you everything you need to know to make your first attempt a smashing success.

INGREDIENTS

• Rice: Short-grained white rice (often sold as “sushi rice”) is the best rice to use here, since it contains high levels of a special starch called amylopectin, which make it stickier than typical white rice. Please note, though, that the rice in this Spam musubi isn't seasoned with a vinegar-sugar mixture, so it won't taste like your typical “sushi rice.”
• Spam: Since the Spam is browned and tossed in a salty glaze, reduced-sodium Spam is best for this recipe. When I was developing this, I noticed that most recipes specifically call for reduced-sodium, so I ran a test with both reduced-sodium and regular spam to see if it actually matters—and it does! It’s not that the regular Spam was unbearably salty...you just couldn’t really taste the meatiness of the Spam underneath that level of seasoning. Use the reduced-sodium—you’ll be glad you did!
• Sugar: Light brown sugar is best for this glaze. Dark brown could substitute in a pinch, but I don’t recommend granulated.
• Shoyu: I highly recommend that you seek out this specific soy sauce for this recipe, which is slightly sweeter and less salty than most other brands of soy sauce. If you can’t find it, I recommend subbing in reduced-sodium soy sauce.
• Furikake: A blend of sesame seeds, seaweed flakes, and katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes), this sprinkleable Japanese condiment brings a ton of umami and nuttiness, as well as fun texture to the Spam musubi.
• Nori Sheets: Often used to make sushi, these flexible sheets of roasted seaweed are key to holding the Spam musubi together.

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

Start with making the rice. For the most evenly cooked rice, I recommend soaking the rice for 15 minutes in a bowl of tap water, then straining and rinsing the rice until the water runs clear. Soaking the rice kickstarts the rice’s hydration (which leads to more even cooking in the pot), and it really makes a difference in the end result—but if you’re under a huge time crunch, you can skip it.

Add the soaked, rinsed rice to a small pot, cover with 1 1/4 cups water, and season with 1/8 tsp. salt. Bring the water to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low to maintain a simmer, cover the pot, and simmer for 15 minutes, until the water is absorbed and the rice is cooked. Remove the pot from the heat, then remove the lid and place a clean kitchen towel or dry paper towel over top of the pot. Replace the lid over the towel and let sit 10 minutes. This helps to remove excess moisture from the air inside the pot, which will lead to fluffier rice.

While the rice is steaming, it’s time to work on the Spam. Remove the block of Spam from the can in one whole chunk. Lay the block on its side on a cutting board and cut into 8 (1/4"-thick) rectangular slices.

In a small bowl, whisk together the light brown sugar and the shoyu (or soy sauce).

Heat a large skillet with 1 Tbsp. oil over medium-high heat. Add Spam in a single layer (if it doesn’t all fit, you can do this is in 2 batches) and cook until browned on both sides, 3 to 4 minutes total. Remove the Spam to a clean plate and drain any leftover fat. Return the skillet to the stove and adjust the heat to medium.

Whisk the sauce in the bowl briefly to make sure the sugar isn’t all at the bottom, then pour it into the skillet. Bring it to a simmer and cook until the sauce thickens slightly, 1 to 2 minutes.

Add the Spam back to the skillet and spoon the sauce over to glaze it. Move the skillet off the burner and set aside.

Cut each nori sheet into 3 equal strips, each about 2 3/4" wide. Set aside. Line the inside of the Spam can with a piece of plastic wrap, making sure the plastic extends up and over the sides of the can. Add 1/3 cup rice to the can, using the back of a spoon or fork to tamp it down into an even layer (essentially, you’re forming a flat rice cake). Remove the rice from the can by lifting up on the plastic wrap to pull everything out; place the rice cake on a clean surface. Repeat with the remaining rice cakes.

To assemble a Spam musubi, sprinkle one of the rice cakes with furikake to taste (I like anywhere between 3/4 to 1 tsp. per Spam musubi) and top with a piece of glazed spam. Use a piece of the nori to wrap crosswise around the Spam musubi, overlapping the nori under the rice and using a tiny bit of water or glaze to seal.

Repeat with remaining ingredients, then serve!

The full list of ingredients and instructions can be found in the recipe below.

Recipe Tips

• Don’t over-assemble: Once built, Spam musubi is best enjoyed immediately. (The moisture from the rice and the glaze will leach into the nori as it sits, making it a weird soggy/chewy texture that’s not super appealing.) For this reason, I recommend assembling only what you intend to eat and saving/storing the rest of the rice cakes and spam separately. Then when you want a Spam musubi, all you have to do is top the rice cake with furikake and spam, reheat in the microwave, and wrap in a fresh piece of nori.
• Buy a musubi mold: If you become as obsessed with Spam musubi as me, you might want to consider buying a musubi mold. Then you won’t have to bother with cleaning the can and lining it with plastic wrap.

Storage

Leftover spam musubi can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The components (formed rice cakes and glazed Spam) can also be stored separately in airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.