Hawaii is know for great beaches, volcanoes, smoke monsters ans Spam.
Yes, Hawaiians eat more Spam then any other state. It is so popular you can walk into any McDonald’s or Burger King on the islands and order along side your pink slime burgers. One of the most popular dishes in the state is Spam Musubi, which as grilled Spam with riced wrapped in seaweed. It looks like some kind of gross Spam sushi. The restaurant featured in the infamous Monty Python sketch must of been in Hawaii.
So why do Hawaiians love the canned crap meat so much? Like everything, it has to do with World War II.
As you should hopefully know, Pearl Harbor is located in Hawaii and played a major part in the war. Spam was consumed often by the troops because of it didn’t need to be refrigerated and it’s long shelf life. It’s like the meat version of Twinkies. Army personal used to joke that Spam was short for SPecial Army Meat (it’s actually short for Spiced ham, but I’m not arguing with a WWII veteran).
When World War II ended many of the troops left but the desire for Spam remained. For the same reason, Spam is also very popular in Guam, another important US territory during the war due to it’s location in the pacific.
So next time you are eating a can of Spam, remember you are experiencing the same regret a bunch of soldiers 70 years ago did.
If you want to try Spam Musubi, and why wouldn’t you (besides the fact that it looks disgusting) there are various Hawaiian restaurants stateside you can try it at or you can try making it yourself.
