“A Slice of Spam with Warm Rice?” How to Make Musubi and a Spam Mayo Rice Bowl

Spam is a type of processed pressed ham that was first launched in the United States. As a canned ham that can be stored for a long time, it is a popular gift for the Chuseok and Lunar New Year holidays, and a reliable food to keep on hand in single-person households, including those living alone. Here is how to make two simple Spam dishes: musubi and a Spam mayo rice bowl.

Making Musubi

Musubi consists of grilled Spam placed on rice and wrapped with dried seaweed. It once made headlines when former U.S. President Obama ate it while playing golf in Hawaii. A distinctive feature is that the Spam can may be used as a mold, so no special cooking tools are needed.

Ingredients: Spam, rice, dried seaweed, salt or vinegar

1. Cut the ham into 6 pieces and grill them.

2. Season the rice with salt or vinegar.

3. Cut the dried seaweed in half and place it beneath the Spam can.

4. Put the rice in first, place the ham on top, press down firmly, remove it from the can, and wrap it with the dried seaweed to finish.

Making a Spam Mayo Rice Bowl

The Spam mayo rice bowl is one of the best-known Spam dishes—so well known that even CJ CheilJedang, which distributes Spam, has released it as a product. Because Spam is already quite salty, there is no need to add salt separately, but when cooking with another type of ham, salt may be added to taste.

Ingredients: Spam, onion, soy sauce, cooking wine, rice, egg, oligosaccharide syrup, mayonnaise

1. Dice the Spam into cubes.

2. Cook it in a pan.

3. Scramble the egg.

4. Thinly slice the onion, lightly stir-fry it in oil, and add 1 tablespoon each of soy sauce, oligosaccharide syrup, and cooking wine.

5. Stir-fry the onion thoroughly in the soy sauce mixture.

6. Place one bowl of rice in a serving bowl, arrange the egg around it, add the onion on top, place the Spam over the onion, and drizzle with mayonnaise to finish.

[FAM Times=Reporter Heo Jun-ho]