SPAM Musubi Gift Pack – Hawaii 2006

Leading the nation in SPAM consumption, it’s no wonder Hormel Foods has once again released a limited edition item for the Hawaii market in honor of our very own SPAM Musubi! This time it’s a SPAM Musubi Gift Pack. Very very cool. What I found a bit disappointing though was that they didn’t include the “Hawaii Collector’s Edition” label on the cans that was introduced 3 years ago.

Here’s what that tin looked like…


SPAM Hawaii Collector’s Edition – Hawaii 2003.  Photos courtesy of Selva’s Flickr photo stream.

See that Hula Girl Figurine? Well, they didn’t forget about that, including it on the top of the box label for this year’s Gift Pack…


SPAM Musubi Gift Pack – Hawaii 2006

Now take a look at the back label of that 2003 tin…


SPAM Hawaii Collector’s Edition – Hawaii 2003.   Photos courtesy of Selva’s Flickr photo stream.

Then take a look at the back of this year’s Gift Pack…


SPAM Musubi Gift Pack – Hawaii 2006

Hmmm. Now that looks familiar. O.K., the equation part is cool, but who came up with the term “= CRAZY TASTY”? Common, this is Hawaii! You’re supposed to say “= ONO!”. Or at least give its partial Japanese roots some honor by saying “= OISHII!”.

Aside of some of the tackiness, it’s still really cool. When I first laid eyes on this stacked on a pallet in Costco, I knew this was something special. Locals I witnessed passing by in the store looked at it and laughed, probably thinking how silly it is. Something taken for granted when SPAM Musubi is something you find at every gas station convenience store around town. But when you’re on the mainland, you begin to realized just how much this simple, yet delicious snack and meal-in-itself identifies Hawaii’s blended culture.

You go ANYWHERE on this planet, if you see a SPAM Musubi, I can almost guarantee its origins were from Hawaii. Not Japan or New York, but HAWAII.

This is why I use it as an icon for taste ratings here. It’s so synonymous with our islands that once you see it, you know you’re home.

So here we have this Gift Pack, which I give Hormel an “A” for effort. Maika’i (well done). Included in it are FOUR 12 oz. cans of SPAM Classic, FOUR 12 cans of SPAM 25% Less Sodium and ONE exclusive SPAM Musubi maker (the blue thing). The back of the package also includes recipes for making a classic SPAM Musubi and several other dishes.

The 9-compartment cardboard display box with cool Hawaiiana floral print and Hula Girl is a gem. Then you have that Musubi Maker, which alone might be worth some collector buck$ in the future when it’s out of production. It even has the official SPAM logo embossed on it. Wow! While it probably can’t compete with some of the higher quality clear acrylic molds made and sold locally, it’s the licensed NAME BRAND on it that really matters.

I purchased a few of these SPAM Musubi Gift Packs just for the novelty of having it. I don’t want to open it. I’ll just proudly display it at home, then perhaps later I’ll put ‘em up on eBay. lol


Photo courtesy of Lindilindi’s Flickr photo stream.

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