Why We Eat: Spam Musubi

Sheldon Simeon from Tin Roof in Maui breaks down the history of Spam Musubi. This handheld snack of seasoned spam, sushi rice, and nori is a staple in Hawaii, where it was introduced during WWII. Sheldon prepares his own Spam Musubi while recounting the historical and social shifts that led to its popularity.


Hungry? Sign up here for the MUNCHIES Recipes newsletter.


Follow Munchies here:

[tenhiarowry]

I'm a black woman that grew up on Spam in the city of Detroit. My grandmother would make a whole breakfast including Spam! Fried Spam with rice scrambled eggs smothered potatoes and onions with biscuits baby. Love Spam!😊

[jwongsings]

As a Hawaii boy who recently moved to the mainland, this hit me in the FEELS. So awesome to see Hawaii culture (esp food that has been ridiculed and derided) lifted up and celebrated in this way <3

[Penelopejad]

When he broke out into visions of who was eating spam musibi hahah. Hands down my favorite snack hehe

[mariaisabellaeusebio]

For those who don't have a fancy musubi press, you can layer the seaweed, rice, then spam in the empty spam can and press down. Pull it out, wrap it up, and you've got a musubi!

[peterwonaprize]

Koreans have a similar love for SPAM, which also traces back to US military rations during the war. Always got teased as a kid for packing fried SPAM for lunch. I knew at a very young age that Hawaii was the right place for me, not just for the scenic nature, but for the cultural acceptance of SPAM.

[VidVoyeur]

Chef Simeon mentioning "Go home, cook rice" has made me homesick. Especially since it's so close to New Year's. Ahi tuna prices must be crazy right now. Also making me miss all the various musubi available at 7-11!

[jamessinden]

I was raised in Hawaii. 18 years. Musubi is in my heart. As a food creator, my products stem from my Hawaiian and Polynesian influence. Thank you for this post. Brings me back to WONDERFUL memories.

[Verlisify]

Whenever I meet someone that says "Ew Spam" I make them Spam Musubi and convert them

[sanctus]

Im korean/ filipino and grew up in LA. I grew up eating Spam, when i would tell my friends how i would eat spam growing up they would always say I never understood why. When i was hungry, my grandma would cook up some eggs and spam with rice, sometimes with masago eggs on top. Spam is my childhood!

[animbot]

I was definitely someone who thought spam was gross and like most people who say spam is disgusting I realized I'd never actually tasted it. When I moved to Cali it was the first time I'd seen Hawaiian food and my first bite of Musubi I was like 'Holy Crap! This is delicious! Why is everyone saying spam is gross?'. If you've never had it definitely try it!

[aaronmiyashita]

Ahh, the "Hawaiian Power Bar". The best snack in existence

[CrazyAsian]

This guy's nostalgia attacks me every time! So proud to be filipino and love to see cultures mix and create amazing things

[aleclynch]

Love that he makes the hand motion for filling onigiri as he's describing them at 0:55

[InkTheEdges]

I literally applauded in my living room while all alone, as Sheldon finished speaking so eloquently about Spam at the end of the video

[thesmokingcaldera]

One of the many reason I cried when I moved away from Hawaii. So much love for the Hawaiian people, culture and food. Mahalo for welcoming us into your kitchen ❤

[KahunaBry]

Moving from Oklahoma to Hawaii soon with my fiancé. Can’t wait to try musubi!

[killerkram]

My mother grew up in Hawaii on Honolulu and made me Spam Musubi all the time when I was a kid. To this day when I go visit she makes this for me. I make it at home as well, I make it slightly differently, i put rice on top of the spam and on the bottom of the spam so it makes a kind of spam sandwich inside the nori. sometimes i will dip it in sauce or pour sauce into it for more kick. Its my favorite snack food and I will keep making this until I die

[ShuffleLord]

My chore before leaving for school in the mornings were to wash/clean and cook the rice. If I didn’t do it, I would come home and my mom would start yelling at me like it’s the end of the fucking world. What a great childhood. Forever traumatized but I do make some bomb ass rice.

[justicefunamura-sasil]

Mahalo nui Sheldon for sharing the story of my grandmother's creation!

[KushManeLucio]

I love spam musubi. I was stationed in Oahu meet my ex family and was introduced to this and many meals and I took most of the meals I learned on my own back to my home in Chicago and my family loves it. Everyone needs to experience the Hawaiian food culture