Spam Musubi

You are not likely to find Spam Musubi at your average sushi bar. The thought of using Spam in a dish may seem strange to most people, but it is extremely popular and common to find it used in various recipes in Hawaii and other Pacific islands. It is also very popular in China, Japan, the Philippines, and Korea.

Spam was introduced by the Hormel Company back in 1937 and its name was derived from "shoulder of pork and ham." It was standard issue for US military personnel during World War II which eventually lead to it becoming popular with many of the civilian populations in the Pacific region.

Spam Musubi features the classic nori wrapper with sticky white rice. The savory marinated spam provides a great contrast to the sweet slices of pineapple providing a taste that is distinctly Hawaiian.

Ingredients:
medium grain rice
1 can of Spam
slices of fresh pineapple
nori seaweed wrapper
4 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tspn sugar

Preparation:

1. cook the rice
2. cut the spam into about 10 square slices.
3. combine the soy sauce, oyster sauce, and sugar in a bowl and mix well.
4. Add the spam to the bowl and marinade for 30 minutes at room temperature.
5. Fry the spam in a skillet over medium heat along with the marinade until the sauce caramelizes. Remove from heat and set aside.
   
6. Use the empty spam can to mold the rice. Fill the can 1/4 of the way full with rice and use a spoon to pack it down.
7. Cut a piece of nori wrapper in half.
   
8. Turn the can upside down on the nori wrapper and tap the top of the can.
9. Put two pieces of Spam on the rice and two pieces of pineapple on top of the Spam.
10. Wrap the nori wrapper around the Spam and the pineapple. You can use water to seal the nori wrapper. Cut the roll in half and serve.
    

United States Hawaii