Spam Musubi: A Hawaiian Delicacy

While in Maui, there were a few expected Hawaiian delicacies eaten; juicy shrimp from a food truck, fresh pineapple straight from the farm and even sweet shaved ice. What was unforeseen was the popularity of Spam Musubi, both the Spam itself part, as well as, the Asian musubi twist.

Hawaiian Spam Musubi in Maui

What is hawaiian spam musubi

Spam Musubi is like a Hawaiian sushi. It is seaweed wrapped around rice and topped with a grilled slice of Spam (a canned pork patty).

Prior to my first ever Spam adventure, there was a premier shaved ice episode. Nothing wrong with eating dessert first. Ever.

The first night in Maui, dessert just had to be shaved ice. And this flavored ice delicacy wasn’t too difficult to find. There were little random shaved ice shops along most major roads. We chose the one with the longest line, Ululani’s in Lahaina. When you have no other viable recommendations, always choose the busiest place in town.

Annette White Eating Shaved Ice

After a short ten minute wait, I selected one of Ululani’s ‘favorite combinations’, the Haleakala made with coconut, leche and topped with sweetened condensed milk.

These aren’t those wimpy kiddie snow cones from back in the day, they are made with shaved ice, not crushed. It makes a difference.

These compacted, pseudo snow cones were almost as big as my head. Really big. And the intense flavor was dispersed throughout the entire cone. Not just in the center.

On the way back to our hotel, the Ritz Carlton in Kapalua, we stopped by the nearby Honolua Store for a snack. In the hot case was something odd that I had never seen before, Spam Musubi. Huh? Even with all of the weird food I have nibbled on, somehow Spam escaped me. Knowing that this was a Hawaiian delicacy made me not think twice about buying one. Just one.

It looked liked sushi. Did it taste like chicken?

No. It actually tasted like a smoked, salty ham. But, not the juicy ham that your grandma makes on Thanksgiving, more like a pork hot dog patty. 

Have you ever had Spam Musubi or Shaved Ice?

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Related

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The 17 Best Road to Hana Stops on the Hawaiian Island of Maui

14 thoughts on “Spam Musubi: A Hawaiian Delicacy”

  1. I just spent 2 months in Hawaii and tried both!  The Spam Musubi was like an Asian hot dog!  I thought both were pretty tasty, but my loyalty is still to other meat products… and Ice Cream for dessert!

    Reply
  2. Just got back from there, didn't try the spam musubi but I did try poi (no flavor at all) and ahi poke (flavor was good, didn't like the texture). 

    Reply
  3. Fresh poi can be very bland.  It's best with salty or strong tasting foods.  I prefer poi at least a day old.  The taste will change to slightly sour due to fermentation.

    Reply

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I'm Annette.

I’m a goal obsessed mid-lifer, traveler, experience collector, fear crusher, digital marketer and author with big bucket list dreams. Let's Connect!

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