Find Spam Musubi at These 6 Hawaiian Restaurants in Metro Phoenix

National Spam Musubi Day is on August 8, providing the perfect reminder to munch on delicious foods, or grinds as they're called in Hawaii.

Spam musubi is a Hawaiian snack that resembles an enormous piece of sushi. It is a block of sticky rice topped with a slice of fried Spam adhered together with teriyaki sauce and wrapped with a rectangle-shaped sheet of nori, a dehydrated and snackable seaweed.

But unlike the more miniature sushi and onigiri counterparts from Japan — these hearty Spam treats are about half the size of a sandwich.

The Spam component is made of ham and pork shoulder meat with potato starch, water, sugar, sodium nitrate, and salt. And while Spam is generally salty, in musubi, the flavor is balanced with sticky rice and tangy teriyaki sauce.

Chewy and umami in flavor, nori ties the Hawaiian snack together. And, aesthetically, nori's jet black color and shininess clash nicely with the bright white sushi rice and pink Spam with sear marks.
Spam, made by Hormel, first hit U.S. supermarkets in 1937. Then four years later, during World War II, American soldiers brought the canned meat to Hawaii, as it was small in size, leakproof, had great shelf life in backpacks, and provided much needed protein during wartime.

Shortly afterward, in the mid 1940s, Spam grew as a popular protein alternative due to a national meat shortage. The meat deficit was felt more so in Hawaii, as it's separated from the mainland's direct train-and-truck supply chains. Consequently, boatloads of Spam cans were shipped into the islands, where Spam became a hit.

It was infused in many recipes in Hawaii, and spam, eggs, and rice is an island favorite until this day, even found at McDonald's.

In 1983, a family restaurant in Kaua'i — one of the state's five major islands — created Spam musubi's first editions. Early Spam musubi resembled Japanese onigiri, triangular-shaped rice appetizers. Then, Spam musubi blew up both in popularity and size.

At Golden Hawaiian BBQ in Chandler, pick from a menu of made-to-order Hawaiian plates and many musubi options, ranging from traditional to spicy, and chicken. One order of traditional Spam musubi includes two pieces for $6.60.