Spam Musubi - Oceanian Recipe

Spam Musubi

🌍 Oceanian, Hawaiian (Japanese-influenced) Difficulty: ●●●○○

WWII military rations flooded Hawaii with Spam; Japanese-Hawaiian plantation workers transformed it using their onigiri tradition into a beloved island snack sold at every convenience store.

Ingredients

• 1 can Spam (classic), cut into 8 slices
• 3 cups cooked short-grain sushi rice (seasoned with 2 tbsp rice vinegar, 1 tbsp sugar, 1 tsp salt)
• 4 sheets nori (seaweed), halved crosswise
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp mirin
• 1 tbsp sugar (for glaze)

Method

1. Mixing — Mix soy sauce, mirin, and sugar in a small bowl for glaze.
2. Step 2 — Pan-fry Spam slices over medium-high heat until browned on both sides, about 2 minutes per side.
3. Pouring — Pour glaze over Spam in pan; cook 1–2 more minutes until caramelized. Set aside.
4. Step 4 — Lay a nori strip shiny-side down on a clean surface.
5. Step 5 — Using a musubi mold (or Spam can with ends removed), press rice into a firm block atop the nori, centered.
6. Placing — Place one glazed Spam slice on top of the rice block.
7. Folding — Fold nori up around the sides, sealing the bottom and top. Moisten edge with water to seal.
8. Repeatting — Repeat for remaining musubi. Serve at room temperature.

Tags: spam, cooked short-grain sushi rice, sheets nori, soy sauce, mirin · Source: Brittani's Almanac