Musubi: It's 'Ono'

Today's Special

A wise person once said that food was an important part of a balanced diet.

I totally agree. 

Life, particularly on this Thanksgiving month, is all about what and how we eat. 

So it is that this series is a celebration of food, with especial tribute to the culinary treasures of Hawaii, including the islanders' unique way of describing their delicious cuisine. 

*****************************************************************

'Ono' is a Hawaiian word meaning 'good to eat.' 

The sky over Waikiki Beach was gray and pink, with the very first yellow seams of dawn just starting to peak thru the cracks in the clouds.

Morning had arrived much too quickly, but not soon enough for spam musubi, a mash-up of Japanese cuisine and American canned meat shaped into a fast food origami. I knew it looked weird but I didn't want to look back and think, I could have eaten that.

I mumbled a quick prayer. Please, God. If you can't make me thin, make my friends fat.

That said, I took a deep breath, head high, body alert. I was ready, alright.

Sunlight was already gilding the kahili ginger-scented air. I walked north among the spandexed and the suntanned, past trendy beachfront cafes to the closest ABC store for a quick grab of this breakfast oddity.

Not to disappoint, rows of plastic-wrapped Twinkie-shaped mounds of steamed, sticky white rice snugly warming under a heating lamp greeted me. 

Well, hello, spam musubi.

I took my first warm bite. 

Flavored with unagi sauce and furikake seasoning of seaweed flakes and sesame seeds, the musubi was layered with egg and wrapped in a black band of dried nori seaweed.

The luncheon meat was salty, as it should be. A bit rubbery but flavorful. 

Onolicious! 

I was grinning like I was holding a big secret. (Disclosure: You only live once... lick your fingers).

I just did.

People say you can't buy happiness, but you can buy musubi and that's kind of the same thing. 

On this fine and soft day on Waikiki Beach, it was all I needed.

Spam musubi, you know you have my heart.