It’s no secret that Hawaii loves SPAM. We have the largest consumption per capita of SPAM. Visitors are surprised to find it as sushi (the ever popular SPAM musubi). You can find it at the annual SPAM Jam block party in Waikiki. You can even find SPAM, eggs, and rice as a popular breakfast item at McDonald’s restaurants in Hawaii!
How did it get here in the first place?
SPAM was first introduced to Hawaii during World War II as a wartime staple, when it was important to have canned meat products with a long shelf life that didn’t require refrigeration. Even after the war, many families grew up cooking with SPAM. Always popular as a breakfast item, people often snacked on SPAM sandwiches (SPAM, white bread, and mayo) or sliced it up into stir-fry or as a topping for bowls of noodles, like saimin.
I remember when I went off to college on the mainland, two things I missed the most were rice and SPAM. So I decided to kill two birds with one stone and I made up a big batch of SPAM fried rice. My roommates gathered around once I started cooking (and didn’t see the SPAM can) so they were anxious to try it. I dished up bowls for everyone and even seconds for some! Only after all the dishes had been cleared did I tell them what they’d eaten. They were shocked, and converted! It may be mystery meat, but it’s salty meaty goodness, and I swear it’s delicious. Don’t knock it til you’ve tried it.
SPAM musubi
This one turned even Andrew Zimmern off. First off, please don’t call it “SPAM sushi” – it’s called a SPAM musubi, pronounced MOO-soo-bee, with emphasis on the first syllable. A piece of SPAM is cut, sometimes marinaded in a shoyu (soy sauce) and sugar mixture, fried, and then packed onto a bed of rice and wrapped up with nori. If you’re on Maui or Oahu, Da Kitchen has a famous version that’s deep fried. 7-Eleven stores all over the state carry SPAM musubis that are great on the run, and will only set you back a little over a dollar. For breakfast, look for versions with a slab of scrambled egg as well. Delish!
