is spam musubi Hawaiian or Japanese?

26 comments

1. I googled it said origin Hawaii but also Japanese I’m confused, it’s delicious tho

2. Hawaiian chef, Sheldon Simeon, has a great YouTube video on it on the Munchies channel. It started in Kauai at a restaurant. When the restaurant owner saw her employee bring in some Japanese kitchen utensil (I don’t remember) she discovered that spam perfectly fit in it and made the first spam musubi. Spread from there. Sorry for lack of specifics.

3. It’s like what Carne asada fries is to us Mexicans.

4. “Spam” is the protein – Hawaiian. The inspiration comes from the Japanese who stayed in Hawaii. “Musubi” roughly means “wrapped or tied” in Japanese.

5. I’m going to say Hawaiian as it is a fusion dish of native Hawaiian and Asian cultures. Similar to loco moco, saimin, malasadas, haupia, and other mixed items.

   Real talk; every culinary culture is a hybrid of some kind

6. Whoever wants to own up to this, it’s an abomination.

   /s

7. If you are picky you could call it Japanese-Hawaiian. There is a relatively huge population of ethnic Japanese living in Hawai’i, which as you know is a state in the United States.

8. Hawaiian. But there’s inspiration from Japan from it.

   Did you know the fluffy Japanese pancakes are also Hawaiian in origin, which was brought back to Japan and became a sensation

9. In the same train of thought that chicken tikka masala is British, and general tso’s chicken is American, it would be safe to call it Hawaiian.

   Worth nothing though that spam is also very popular in Okinawa.

10. Por que no los dos?

11. It’s Hawaiian. That being said, there are several things that Hawaii and Japan share or fuse. Be it food or even language. Many people in Hawaii are either full Japanese or Hapa(half), so many things are shared.

    Also, there is a connection with more than foods and language, there are “Sister states” in Japan and Hawaii:  Fukuoka, Okinawa – Hi

12. Yes

13. Hawaiian!

14. This is a good question. Okinawa has a spam Musubi culture as well, though. I always wonder who made it first but my guess is Hawaii and then Okinawa.

    Musubi and wrapping rice with a “topping/ingredient” is distinctly Japanese and the spam musubi was most likely introduced by Japanese migrant workers in Hawaii during WW2. There is a modern “onigirazu” that seems like a spin off of the okinawan spam Musubi. Wrapping style is different.

    Spam and canned foods took off during WW2 in the pacific islands as war pretty much took away native islanders abilities to farm and fish for their own food as they did historically. Spam was introduced by the US and it took off. Hawaii is the biggest state consumer of spam last I checked 😂.

    My guess is that spam Musubi is Hawaiian, created by Japanese migrants but made popular again in Okinawa as the Hawaiian boom picked up in Japan post world war 2.

    Never heard of the Kauai restaurant story. Looking forward to checking out the munchies story.

15. All the comments are glossing over the history of Spam. The significance of it to HI. Why it would be popular in Okinawa where Camp Hansen is located.

    Anyway Spam is life. Everyone should try Spam Tocino musubi / Spam fries / Spamsilog

16. Hawaiian

17. Not sure but it’s for sure trashy, like everything that has spam in it …

18. I am Japanese and from Hawaii – a lot of “non-traditional” Hawaiian food like spam musubi is influenced by Japanese cuisine.

19. Japanese-inspired but Hawaiian in origin. Just like chicken tikka masala is a UK dish created by their South Asian community.

20. Not Japanese, maybe Hawaiian but sounds more like So-Cal wanna be sushi designed for Americans who think they’re cultured

21. I don’t know but It look DELICIOUS

22. Yes

23. Yes.

24. created in hawaii influenced by japan

25. Hawaiian. I vaguely remember the history of spam musubi and it was made by an Asian immigrant in hawaii and it became a specialty of their store? It might be better to look it up than listen to me LOL

26. Japaiian