How To Make Spam Musubi Homemade Musubi Maker
Spam musubi is often associated with sushi as it uses sushi rice and nori. Nevertheless, it claims its own name and well it is spam musubi. If youre also associating it with Japanese, dont worry because you have enough reason to think so. Only that, spam musubi is not a Japanese native but is hailed from the wonderful island country of Hawaii.In Hawaii, musubis are sold everywherein cafeterias, school canteens and convenience stores. This dish is very flexible as it can be consumed as breakfast, lunch, dinner or snack. If you want a taste of it, then this recipe is made just for you.
How To Make Omusubi Without A Mold
- If you dont have a musubi press mold to pack and shape the cooked rice, use the Spam can by cutting its top and bottom. Its the perfect size and works like a charm!
- You can also easily shape the rice by hand. Lightly wet hands with water and sprinkle with salt in between shaping to keep the rice from sticking.
Making Spam Musubi Without A Special Mold
If you dont have access to a mold, theres an even easier solution. You can use your hands to form rice balls and top them with Spam slices, but did you know Spam cans can act as a mold? All you need is some cling-wrap.
Clean the inside of the can and cut the cling-wrap to about 8 x 12 inches. Line the cling-wrap inside the can and make sure all four corners are outside of the can.
Scoop about 1 ½ inch of rice inside the can. Use a spoon to flatten out the rice evenly and top it with a Spam slice. Take the corners of the cling-wrap and gently lift it out of the can. Open the cling-wrap and center the nori sheet over the Spam . Then wrap the nori sheet over the Spam stack, lifting the top and bottom to stick the nori all around.
Cover the entire Spam roll with the cling-wrap again and twist the sides to make sure its completely molded. You can use your hands to cup the sides. Unwrap the cling-wrap, and serve!
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Learning To Make Spam Musubi
In Hawaii I never made my own musubi at home, because they were everywhere. You could get them cheaply at any convenience store alongside the manapua, bentos and somen salads. We also made them at school and sold them as fundraisers. They were even available in the school snack bar!
But the year of high school I spent in Pennsylvannia, my sophomore year, there was not a single musubi in sight, so I decided to start making my own. I got a cheap musubi press and began making several SPAM musubi at a time, keeping the musubi in the freezer for a quick microwave lunch or snack.
The first day I brought a SPAM musubi to school, my friends reacted rather strongly. WHAT is THAT?!!!
I explained and offered them a taste. Meat from CAN? No way! So I happily ate them myself, secretly glad that I didnt have to share.
After a few weeks of bringing musubis to school regularly, I could see the feigned disgust change to intrigue, and sure enough, they began asking to try my foreign food. My musubi quickly became quite the lunchroom commodity, and soon I could trade them for pretty much anything I wanted.
How To Make Spam Musubi
My go to method for SPAM musubi is an easy basic one, with a simple marinade to give that extra pop of flavor. Some people say you need to use sushi rice, but in Hawaii we also used regular rice, just cooking it to be sticky. Just use 1.5 parts water to 1 part rice. For example: 2 cups of uncooked rice with 3 cups of water.
You can cook your rice in a rice cooker or on the stove. I find it easiest to use a rice cooker, or the rice setting on the Instant Pot.
Once your rice and SPAM are cooked , its time to mold or press your musubi.
I like to lay out the strip of nori and put the musubi mold on top of it. Then fill the mold 3/4 full with rice, thats about two inches high with rice. Place your sliced SPAM on top and use the press to firmly press it down and compact the rice.
Then you can remove the press and wrap your nori strips around the musubi. My press is a long one that makes two musubi, so I then cut it in half with a knife. You can also get single musubi presses, and divided musubi presses.
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Spam & Chinese Cooking
The name Spam might make you think of high-sodium military rations. But in China, its a popular ingredient that people use in comfort food. Spam and pepper stir fry, Spam omelette, Spam grilled skewers, Spam fried rice, or Spam sandwich. You name it.
Spam is also a popular ingredient in Chinese Hot Pot and Sichuan Mala Pot a popular type of Chinese restaurant where you choose a spicy sauce and various ingredients that are cooked in it and then everything is served in a big pot. Every time I go to Mala Pot restaurants with friends, I remember to order a few slices of Spam and its always the most popular ingredient in the pot.
Spam is so intertwined with Chinese food culture that Id never considered Spam a foreign food until I moved the US. Then I started to wonder when it came to China.
After some digging, I found out the following. According to Wikipedia:
In China, Hormel decided to adopt a different strategy to market Spam, promoting it as a foreign, premium food product and changing the Spam formula to be meatier in order to accommodate local Chinese tastes.
Apparently, Hormel also decided to name it luncheon meat instead of Spam, to make it sound glamorous. No wonder. Back in old days, Spam was considered a fancy thing that people would serve for dinner on Chinese New Year.
Spam Musubi Cooking Notes
Cynthia did such a great job documenting the cooking process, that it was extremely easy for me to follow. Even though Id never made spam musubi in the past. Ive changed the wording of the recipe slightly, based on my own cooking experience and recipe style. For example, I added the metric measurements to make cooking easier for my international readers. And I didnt include the saucier version in the footnotes, because I think the original version is perfect.
Here are a few notes worth mentioning:
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How To Serve And And Store
These are best served fresh so that the rice is nice and soft and the nori is not too soggy. Its perfect with a side of ahi tuna poke or salmon poke bowls too. If you have leftovers, you can wrap them individually in a piece of cling-wrap tightly so they dont dry out. Once refrigerated they need to be microwaved in 30-second intervals until they are nice and warm. They are good in the fridge for about 3 days.
To learn more about our favorite Hawaiian foods, you can read all about our top 15 best restaurants in Oahu.
Why Is Spam Musubi So Popular In Hawaii
Two key factors:
OutdoorsHawaii is a very outdoors type of place and Spam Musubi is the ultimate portable snack. Pack it in your bag before you go hiking, bring it to the beach . Spam Musubi doesnt need to be refrigerated, its durable, and really hits the spot after outdoors physical activity. Just dont forget to bring water or something to drink.
Families/GroupsHawaii is family and group oriented. Its not unusual to see multiple generations living together in on home. Spam Musubi is a hit at group events like family potluck gatherings, garage parties, bake sales and especially at after school soccer games. Its easy to eat and everyone enjoys it. No hassle, no frills, just really tasty.
Spam Musubi at Yamas Fish Market
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Making Rice For Spam Musubi
Spam musubi is influenced by a combination of American, Japanese, and Hawaiian cultural foods. The term musubi is taken from the Japanese dish omusubi or onigiri, which translates to rice ball.
First, I like to make Spam musubi with short-grain rice because its extra sticky in a rice cooker, in a microwave, or even in the Instant Pot. Its important to note that Hawaiian style Spam musubi uses plain white rice and not sushi rice , but if you want to add more flavor you can also use seasoned sushi rice.
Once the rice is finished cooking, I like to fluff the rice a bit so that its easier to add into the molds for assembly. Try to keep your rice warm while you make the rest of the ingredients.
The Spam Musubi Is A Ridiculously Simple Creation Composed Of Four Ingredients Yet Its Extremely High Rating On The Scale Of Tastiness Cannot Be Denied
Of all the foods people associate with Hawaii, Spam musubi seems to be most popular, with echoes of lau lau, lomi lomi salmon, and kalua pig trailing just behind. I’ve heard the terms Spam sushi and Spam sandwiches, but, no, get it right: It’s Spam musubi.
Back home in Hawaii, musubis are found at every convenience shop on the islands, 7-11 included . Musubis are sold in school cafeterias and right alongside butter mochi at local bake sales. Picnic? Someone’s mom is bound to make at least two dozen. Sleepover? Either dinner that night, or straight out of the fridge for breakfast.
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How To Make Spam Musubi 10 Easy Steps
- 3cupsof sushi ricenot cooked
- Nori sheets
Instructions
- How to Make Spam Musubi
- Remember this ratio: every 1 can of spam is enough for every 3 cups of rice. Boil the three cups of rice and commence do the next steps.
- Open the can of Spam, get the meat and slice it into 8 equal slices.
- Incorporate soy sauce and sugar in a bowl, adjusting it to the taste you prefer.
- Fry the Spam slices in a skillet over medium-high heat.
- After a minute or two, put the soy sauce and sugar mix onto the Spam. Carefully mix the mixture with the meat and keep on frying until Spam is crisp.
- Transfer the Spam into a plate and begin the assembling.
- Cut the nori strips in half lengthwise and put inside the musubi maker.
- Scoop a generous amount of rice into the mold. Using the handle of musubi-maker, press down the rice hard. This will make the consistency of your musubi compact so it can be eaten easily.
- Layer furikake over rice and put Spam over it. Put another layer of furikake and another layer of rice over it. Press the contents again until they attain the standard firmness.
- Take the musubi off from the maker and wrap it with nori. Spam musubi is best eaten when it is freshly cooked.
Video
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the Spoonacular Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
Variations On Spam Musubi
The classic is a trio combo of rice/spam/nori. But there are many super delicious variations. Here are a few:
Furikake Spam MusubiRolling the rice furikake before you top it with the Spam slice. Some places also mix the furikake directly with the rice, so you get furikake-speckled rice.
Half-Wrap Spam MusubiCut the nori sheet lengthwise into quarters so that either end of the musubi is exposed.
Spam-in-the-Middle Musubi This is when the Spam is tucked between two layers of rice . You do a half layer of rice, sprinkle furikake , then the Spam, more furikake, then a top layer of rice. Then wrap the whole thing in nori.
Spam Musubi as part of a bento at Kawamoto Store
Mini Spam MusubiThese are just whole Spam Musubi cut into halves or quarters . Minis can also be made with a mini musubi mold.
Saucy Spam MusubiThose who like crispy and saucy Spam can pan fry Spam slices in shoyu-sugar or teriyaki sauce before making the musubi.
Spam Musubi at Musubi Cafe Iyasume
Deluxe Spam MusubiThe kids like to call this premium musubi. Its when you take a Spam Musubi and add on additional layers of toppings. Common toppings include: egg omelet , bacon, cheese, avocado slices, and even unagi.
Spam Musubi at Diamond Head Market & Grill
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Experiment With Sushi Rice
The original Hawaiian spam musubi does not use sushi rice, which has added rice vinegar and sugar. But I decided to experiment with it. I ended up liking the result so much more than the original version. The refreshing acidic note cuts the greasiness of the Spam, mellows its saltiness, and works perfectly with the sweet taste.
If youre feeling adventurous, use the sushi rice recipe from Just One Cookbook. The extra time is definitely worth it.
Hawaiian Style Spam Musubi
On the go lunch, dinner, or snack! Perfect for a beach day. Throw it in a cooler and youre good to go!
Aloha! Mmmm arent you just hungry for some spam musubi? Growing up in Hawaii was always my favorite food to eat. Its super easy to make and yet it is so ono ! Ill help you make your very own spam musubi!
Youll first need 30 minutes to cook 3 cups of rice. Then youll need to slice a can of spam. I like to cut it about an inch in length giving me about 9 slices of spam, but thats up to your preference.
Fry the sliced spam over medium heat in a pan. Cook each side for about 3-4 minutes to get it nice and crunchy. If you are making teriyaki spam musubi, then add in the sauce and let it cook for about a minute or two. Youll start to see it thicken. Make sure all sides are coated with the sauce.
To assemble the musubi, place down a 3 inch wide nori . On top of the cut nori will go the spam musubi mold. Scoop up some rice and place it in the mold. Press down on the rice with the musubi molds presser. Then place the cooked spam or teriyaki spam and any optional garnishing like furikake or scrambled egg. Slide the musubi out by using the presser to hold its contents in place. Finish it off by wetting the ends of the nori with water then fold it together.
And thats it! A Hawaiian style spam musubi. Enjoy!
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Common Spam Musubi Questions
No musubi mold ?
Almost all local households keep a musubi mold in their kitchen. If you plan to make Spam Musubi more than once, its worth buying a musubi mold . But there is a workaround . Use the Spam can! Yes! Dont throw away the can when you open the Spam. Rinse the can. Then get a piece of plastic/Saran wrap and use that to line the interior of the Spam can . Layer in the rice/furikake/spam. Use a spoon to press down firmly so that all the layers are tightly packed into the can. Then pull the entire musubi up on to a cutting board. Remove the plastic and the nori to roll up the Spam musubi!
How to store leftovers?
Sometimes I make Spam musubi for just the two of us. We usually eat 2 musubi each for lunch. That leaves 4 musubi . Best solution is to make only as much as youre planning to eat. Save the other 4 Spam slices and assemble the remaining musubi tomorrow . That way you get fresh musubi with the crisp nori sheets, hot rice, and saucy Spam.But if there are leftovers, best thing to do is wrap them individually or store in a sealed container. When youre ready to eat, remove the wrap, and put the musubi on a plate. Drape a slightly wet paper towel over the musubi and microwave for one minute.
Were supposed to add soy sauce AND sugar to the Spam?
How To Form Spam Musubi With A Special Mold
There are different ways to assemble Spam musubi one of the easiest ways is using a specific Spam musubi mold. Ive seen so many different types throughout the years and you can buy them straight from Mitsuwa, Daiso, or online. It typically is a rectangular mold and a flat press to shape the rice.
All you have to do is cut your nori into your desired width, lay it on a clean surface vertically, and place the mold over the center part of the nori. Add a base of rice to the mold and use the press to make your rice even. Remove the press and add the Spam slice. Carefully lift the outer mold so you dont move the rice and Spam. Take your nori and wrap it around the stack and serve.
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Tips For Making Spam Musubi
First, cut the Spam into thin slices. Place the strips under the musubi mold, and then fry the SPAM in a single layer. Once the SPAM is lightly browned, add one or two more strips of nori and fill the mold with three inches of rice. Next, place the fried SPAM on top of the rice, and use a rice press to compact it. The beaten eggs will be layered in the middle of the Spam musubi.
Once the rice is cooked, you can top the musubi with Furikake. You can either put the Spam on top of the musubi, or you can place it in the center of the rice. The Spam is much easier to eat in the middle of the rice, because it isnt prone to falling apart. When assembling a spam musubi, make sure to use extra nori and a teaspoon of soy sauce to give it a crunchy texture.
The nori is usually not toasted, and is a little chewy. Instead, try toasted nori. This will add a slight tang to the flavor and add a crunch to the musubi. If you like the taste of sesame, you should consider the non-toasted variety. The final step to making Spam musubi is to add the sauce. This sauce is incredibly delicious!
To make spam musubi, you need to soak the nori strip in water. Then, you need to place the nori strip in the center of the musubi. Using the handle of the mold, you should push the rice out. After that, you can wrap the musubi with the nori strip. Afterwards, add the furikake and Spam. The musubi is ready to serve.
