Spam musubi gets a holiday — and a freebie in Boulder
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Spam musubi. Photo: Mitchell Byars/Axios
Aug. 8 is Spam Musubi Day — yeah, it's a thing — created to honor Hawai'i's 808 area code and its signature snack.
Why it matters: The salty-sweet sushi-like snack is a cultural icon in Hawai'i, born from World War II-era imports and still beloved today.
- No one knows exactly who invented Spam musubi, but by the 1980s, it was everywhere in Hawaiian snack shops.
- Hawaiian barbecue chain L&L declared it a holiday during the pandemic, when Spam sales were booming.
Dig in: In honor of the holiday, you can get a free Spam musubi at L&L restaurants, including Boulder's location at 2323 30th St.
Yes, but: Say you want to try your hand at making Spam musubi yourself. Well, on this special day, I am willing to share my secret family recipe.
- Caveat: I say "secret" recipe as if it's complicated, but Spam musubi has just five ingredients and it's a fun and simple dish to make.
What you need: This recipe makes eight to 10 spam musubis.
- 1 can of Spam
- 4 cups of white medium-grain rice
- 1 cup of white sugar
- 1 cup of soy sauce
- 4–5 sheets of sushi nori
- The hardest part about making musubis is finding the right mold. Personally, I prefer the double-size because it's more efficient. Oh, and it's not required, but a Spam slicer is handy.
Directions: First, start cooking the rice — the longest part of the process.
- In a saucepan, heat up the soy sauce and stir in the sugar until dissolved.
- Slice the Spam into eight to 10 pieces and cook in the mixture until caramelized.
- Lay a sheet of nori smooth side down and place the mold.
- Spoon in rice and use the press to create the first rice layer, about a centimeter thick.
- Add the slices of Spam and then the second layer of rice.
- Wrap the nori around the rice and Spam, and use a bit of water to seal the nori like an envelope.
- Wet a knife to slice. Eat and consider yourself an honorary Hawaiian.
My thought bubble: Look, I was practically raised on this stuff, but I get that Spam isn't for everyone. As with hot dogs, very few people know what's in it.
- So if Spam ain't your jam, you can make musubis with pretty much anything once you have the mold.