Spam Musubi

This is a Spam Musubi.  Say it with me:  Moo (like a cow says) - Sue (the girl's name) - Bee (a stinging insect), Spam Moo-Sue-Bee!

The rumors are true - Hawaii loves Spam.  

You can get SPAM and eggs for breakfast at many local restaurants plus McDonalds and Burger King!  

Once, at the grocery store, Bryce and I encountered a woman with an entire cart full of Spam and a handful of coupons causing a scene because the store would only let her purchase 4 cans of Spam in each transaction and then get back into the long line each time!  Aunty was not happy.  

There's even an annual festival in Waikiki dedicated to SPAM - SPAM Jam!  Yes, of course I went.

The main road in Waikiki is blocked off and it becomes a huge block party!  As you can imagine, there's a ton of SPAM.

There are SPAM characters with awkwardly placed arms!  

The restaurants around town have booths where they sell popular items from their menus that have been, of course, adapted to include SPAM!   I guess basil really does go with everything.

If the memory of the day isn't enough for you, you can purchase SPAM JAM stuff!

I'll get some for you this year, just let me know what you want!  SPAM plushie, ballcap, winter hat, cup, coffee mug, plate, spatula, soccer ball, football, basketball, tote bag... There's a whole section in our Target that sells SPAM stuff, too.

Hawaii really loves SPAM - believe me yet?  Let's get back to the musubi.

As you can see, a SPAM Musubi is a rice block with a slice of SPAM and sauce (some type of teriyaki) wrapped in roasted seaweed.  It's typically a quick breakfast or a snack.  Once, at a work event, I actually saw a 10 year old child with a SPAM Musubi in his pocket!  What a thoughtful Mother he must have.

This particular SPAM Musubi is from 7-Eleven and cost $1.49.  Don't laugh, 7-Eleven wins the "Best SPAM Musubi" award almost every year.  Seriously, there's an award category for Best SPAM Musubi.

Personally, these aren't my cup of tea.  Bryce loves them!  Every time he gets one I demand "Gimmie a bite!"  Every time it still tastes gross.  I'll keep trying.

They're sold hot and can be find right next to the hot dogs.  What I didn't know it that there's a handy little open tab on the wrapper!

If you do it just right you'll create a perfect amount of cellophane to hold your musubi mess-free.  Look at that!

Here's a better look, although I've NEVER seen anyone put a SPAM Musubi on a plate before.  Why would you, when there's a handy holding feature?!

SPAM + rice + seaweed = SPAM Musubi.

2 more things to note here:

One.

You can buy accessories to make your own SPAM Musubi - a "luncheon meat cutter" that cuts the SPAM into identically perfect slices (much like those cutters made for hard boiled eggs) and a musubi mold that is just the right rectangular shape for one of these bad boys.

Two.


SPAM Musubi is so commonly well known that it was used by an attorney in court as an example...  This wasn't some traffic citation or petty divorce court, I was a juror for a MURDER trial!  To explain all the necessary items needed to find someone guilty they used the example of a SPAM Musubi.  Without SPAM, it's just rice and seaweed.  Without rice, it's just SPAM and seaweed.  Without seaweed, it's just rice and SPAM...  you need ALL 3 elements to make a SPAM Musubi.  I was cracking up (inside).  What you must also know is that I was the only haole (white) girl on the jury, so it probably didn't gave everyone else on the jury a second thought!  Personally, I think using a peanut butter and jelly sandwich as the example would have done the trick.

So, now you know, Hawaii really does love SPAM.  Next time you stop at a 7-Eleven, see if you can't find one for yourself.