Spam has been frowned upon so much historically that there’s a junk folder named after the stuff. But that’s being unfair to the so-called mystery meat, the product of a rationing-era-turned-staple for certain cuisines. The product turned 87 this year, and we figured it was time to celebrate it by examining the role it plays in great Hawaiian food.
We reached out to the folks at L&L Hawaiian Barbecue, the longstanding chain that’s brought Hawaiian plate lunch to neighborhoods all over the nation. The director of marketing, Brandon T. Dela Cruz, offered some great context related to Spam and even set us up with some great Spam recipes.
The genesis of Spam
Dela Cruz said that Spam dropped in Minnesota in 1937, becoming a staple during WWII. “Hawaii was a key location for the war,” he added. “And with Hawaii’s already diverse ethnic cuisine, Spam easily integrated into Hawaii’s colorfully flavorful menu, primarily through the handheld snack known as the Spam Musubi.”
For those who don’t know, the dish is basically an oversized sushi with Spam as the main filling, a core offering from L&L and many other Hawaiian restaurants. “With the evolution of Hawaii cuisine within the last century, Spam became integrated into the multitude of ethnic dishes such as Kalua pig (Hawaiian), loco moco (American-inspired), and Spam Musubi (Japanese-influenced),” Dela Cruz explained.
Dela Cruz was born in Hawaii and said he was practically introduced to Spam upon birth. “Well, maybe not exactly on day one of life, but pretty close,” he said. “Because of Spam’s availability and popularity, having Spam is perhaps one of the earliest culinary rites of passage for anyone living in Hawaii.”
Hawaiian-style food, of course, is a cultural collective. “The cohabitation of various ethnic groups brought to Hawaii to work, play, and live in Hawaii encouraged the sharing of different flavors among those who lived and visited the islands,” Dela Cruz continued. “These flavors from places like Japan, Korea, China, the Philippines, various regions in the U.S., etc., are at the soul of the cuisine of Hawaii. Spam Musubi is certainly considered Hawaiian-style cuisine and is Hawaii’s most popular go-to snack!”
Musubi is one of the more popular uses for Spam, but it can also figure in Hawaiian breakfast options or Saimin, the archipelago’s take on ramen soup.
Tips on how to cook Spam
“The best way to cook Spam is the traditional way — in a pan or grill, fried with the outside crispy and crunchy and the inside tender and tasty,” Dela Cruz said. There’s a sweet spot when it comes to cooking time as well.
“Don’t cook it too long to the point where it’s burnt. Similarly, you don’t want to have it uncooked,” he said. “Like Goldilocks and the Three Bears, you want to cook it just right — to where the color is nice and the texture is crispy on the outside yet tender when biting into it. Other than that, Spam is one of the most versatile meats available.”
The quintessential snack of Hawaii can be used in so many things, from breakfast burritos and casseroles to mac and cheese and in place of Bologna in a sandwich. We like it baked and caramelized as well as fried with kimchi. You can even smoke the stuff and give Spam the barbecue sauce treatment.
Spam Musubi
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup of steamed rice
- 1 piece of Spam (1 can sliced and divided into 8 pieces)
- 1 teaspoon of barbecue sauce*
- 1/2 sheet of nori (seaweed wrap)
- Vegetable oil
Method
- Heat a pan with oil and lightly pan-fry the Spam.
- Put the rice into a musubi mold using a rice paddle.
- Drizzle The Original Musubi Sauce & Marinade by L&L Hawaiian Barbecue on top of rice.
- Place the Spam on the top of the rice.
- Wrap nori around rice and serve.
Spam has endured for generations and will almost certainly continue to do so. The Hormel product has found homes beyond Hawaiian cuisine and has infiltrated pop culture, from museums in Minnesota devoted to the ingredient to popular songs (looking at you, Weird Al).
The ham and pork mashup is sold worldwide and remains a bargain source of protein. Its distinctive salty flavor is admired worldwide and is featured in everything from sandwiches in Puerto Rico (with pimientos and Velveeta) to Spam kimbap with rice and seaweed in Korea.
With a wobbly economy and tinned foods being all the rage right now, the stage is set for Spam to take the stage yet again. Want some more inspiration? Check out Gordon Ramsey making a sandwich out of Spam. We’ve also got some great Hawaii-minded features on making loco moco and some of the best Hawaiian dishes.
