How to Make Spam Musubi

Learn how to make the ultimate favorite snack of Hawai'i, Spam Musubi.

Ever since i was little i remember my mom, grandma, and aunty always used to make me this for snack after school.  Ask any person from Hawai'i and they will tell you how important the spam musubi is in the lifestyle of Hawai'i.  I always tell friends that visit they have to try it because you haven't experienced Hawai'i if you haven't tried a spam musubi.

In this instructable i will show you how to make the four most popular varieties of this popular snack.

1. Regular Spam Musubi
2. Teriyaki Spam Musubi
3. Spam and Egg Musubi
4. Spam and Furikake Musubi

So, i hope you enjoy!

Step 1: Ingredients

What you will need...

3 cups cooked white sticky rice
1 package of nori(seaweed) sheets (7.5" x 8")
1 can of spam (doesn't matter what kind you choose)
1 bottle furikake (japanese rice seasoning)
1 egg (to be scrambled)

Teriyaki Sauce:
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup sugar
1 tbsp mirin

You can find all of these ingredients at the nearest grocery store in the Asian section or go to your local Asian Market. I'd prefer the latter because you are guaranteed to find everything.

Step 2: Spam Musubi Maker

ALSO:
- you will need a spam musubi maker (see second picture below)
- comes in two pieces, the shaper and compressor

You can probably find this at the nearest Asian market.

Step 3: Cooking White Sticky Rice

Fill rice cooker to how ever much it can hold. Wash and rinse rice atleast three times, then add water till the rice is covered.  The water should be about and inch above the rice.  Once that is done put in on the cooker and press the button down. Don't forget to press the button.

Step 4: Cutting Spam

1. open can of spam and put on cutting board
2. cut spam into ten slices
     ( more or less can be cut but keep it at an even number)

Step 5: Cooking Spam

1. heat stove to medium heat
2. place slices of spam on a pan
3. wait till it comes crispy and golden

NOTE:
if you want to make teriyaki spam musubi skip to next step

Step 6: Cooking Teriyaki Spam

Teriyaki Sauce:
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup sugar
1 tbsp mirin

1. mix all those ingredients together till sugar dissolves.
2. place spam on frying pan
3. pour mixture over spam, enough so all sides are surrounded
4. let cook till the spam is caramelized with teriyaki sauce

Step 7: Making the Musubi

Here is how you should set-up your kitchen table or counter...

1. bowl of cooked rice
2. plate of spam
3. nori
4. bowl of water, with spam musubi soaking inside
     *helps the rice not stick to the maker when it is wet
5. cutting board or mat so you don't dirty your table

Step 8: Laying Down the Nori

1. lay sheet of nori with the longer side going horizontally
2. put maker in the center lining up the edges with the nori

Step 9: Adding Rice and Pressing Down

1. add a bed of rice about 1cm high and fill the entire space of the shaper
2. then press down with the compressor piece

*shaper: is the box shaped piece
compressor: the flat piece with knob on top

Step 10: Add Spam Then Last Layer of Rice

1. add two pieces of cooked spam (regular or teriyaki which ever you choose to use)
2. add last layer of rice, same amount as step before
3. press down hard till all ingredients are tightly compacted

Step 11: Taking Rice and Spam Out of Maker

1. press down the rice with compressor with both hands
2. slowly using your fingers that are not touching the compressor lift up the shaper till its free of the rice and spam
3. slowly and carefully take compressor off the top layer bed of rice

Step 12: Wrapping the Nori Around Spam and Rice

1. start with far side of nori and wrap over top of rice and spam
2. then grab entire musubi and fold it over towards you, so no rice is showing
3. lastly put musubi down, so all of the nori is wrapped around the rice and spam

*IMPORTANT
let the musubi lay flat for about five minutes so the loose ends of the nori can join together (by heat and moisture of rice) and hold the rice and spam firmly together.

Step 13: Cut and Serve

1.use a bread knife, or any knife that is really sharp
2. wet knife so the rice doesn't stick
3. first cut in half, make like you are cutting a log and go back and forth slowly making your way down till the end
4. wet knife again
5. cut the halves in half again
    *you can follow the picture and do it diagonally, or you can just cut it straight, it doesn't matter)
6.put on plate and serve

Step 14: Extras: Spam and Egg Musubi

One awesome combination that many small lunch shops serve are spam and egg musubis.  it's just like its name, a spam musubi with spam & egg in between the rice.


1. Use regular spam, and scramble one egg
2. cut egg into small pieces
3. Follow step 8 & 9
4. Add spam, then add pieces of egg over spam
5.follow steps 10-13.
6. enjoy!

Step 15: Extras: Spam and Furikake

1. Now you need your bottle of furikake
2. Follow step 8 & 9
3. once you have the first layer of rice, sprinkle enough furikake so rice is covered
4. add spam and press down like in step 10
5. add furikake over the spam
6. follow steps 11-13
7. serve and enjoy

Step 16: FINISH&ENJOY!

Here is a serving suggestion...