Pseudo Spam Musubi
Let’s continue our “bento-stash” series with seitan or as some folks call it “wheat meat”. However, for today’s bento… I’m calling it “pseudo spam”!
I’ve documented my first “near disaster” attempt at making my own seitan here but with each try I’m getting better and better at it! That’s good news for Saba Man! 
Storage:
Anyway with regards to storing seitan as bento-stash… I recommend cutting it into smaller chunks that you can quickly defrost in the microwave.
That’s what I did for this bento… I defrosted, sliced, then reheated in a shoyu sauce.
Preparation:
There’s are many options for using seitan in your bento box recipes for vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike. Sliced thin for a sandwich, chopped up for stir-fry, ground-up for making meatballs or simmered for an adobo or nimono. Since the seitan was already cooked before storing ( it keeps for many months in the freezer) you don’t have to fuss to make it yummy as long as it was seasoned at the time of creation. I have a batch made with konbu dashi to give it an ocean taste and another chunk seasoned with garlic!
Today’s Version:
For today’s recipe I added f BaconSalt, a commercial brand of salt that tastes like bacon! Really. And it does this without the use of real bacon so it’s vegan safe! Correction! BaconSalt contains milk.
For the speudo spam I cooked the slices in a shoyu sauce just like I would for the real stuff. Some people skip this step as it’s a matter of taste.
You’ll notice that my very rustic looking musubi are made “old school” style…that means I didn’t use a “spam musubi mold” (yes, there is such a thing!) and carefully shaped the hot rice by hand! “Itai!”
Not that I’m opposed to a spam musubi mold… I just couldn’t find mine! 
Assembly:
Top Left:Slices cooking in shoyu, mirin and a little bit of ginger.
Top Right:Shaped rice with furikake. (brown rice for extra nutrition)
Bottom:Left:Add the sliced seitan. Next time I’ll shape into a rectangle to resemble a spam slice!
Bottom Right: Wrap it up in nori.
That’s it and super easy to do. The other items in today’s bento box are steamed edamame, baked sweet potato, a skewer of stir-fried seitan (sesame and garlic) and fresh strawberries!
For those who are not into seitan… you could keep a few cans of the real Spam in your pantry as bento-stash instead!
What cute mu-pseudo-bis! When I glanced at your bottom picture I thought I was looking at chicken teriyaki, actually! Really resembles the color and texture
Wonder what seitan tastes like? Maybe one day I’ll find out
Yep it sure does look like teri-chicken. The next time I’ll cut it into the shape of spam and maybe “dye” it pink!
“Mu-pseudo-bi”! Ha… good one!
LOL, sheri is the queen of puns! Great take on the Spam musubi!
Hi Susan, Thank you!
I agree with sheri – looks like teriyaki chicken!
yum…I actually like seitan, it does a pretty good job soaking in flavourings, making it super tasty!
Hi mils, I love that the seitan can taste pretty much like anything you want it too!
Like Sheri, I have yet to try the seitan but maybe I’ll try store bought before attempting to make my own.
The bento looks very appetizing, nice.
Hi Ingrid! Thank you and I hope you try some seitan!
I haven’t tried seitan yet, but it’s on my list. Nice step by step pics! I do like spam though!
Hi Lyndsey, I love Spam but haven’t eaten it in years since becoming a vegg-head.
this looks great! i love seitan and musubi, so heyyyyy.
do you mind if i link your recipe and blog from my blog? i
think people will love it. happy thursday.
Hello k.! Welcome to hapa bento and thanks so much for your comments. Yes, you may link to this post. Thank you for asking. Happy Thursday to you too!
Thanks a lot for sharing your musubi recipe
I can’t get seitan here, or I should say, I have never seen it around here. But I think the recipe can be used with different kinds of tofu or meat also. And your riceballs look amazingly good! I think you don’t need a mold 
Hi Lil’ chan, You could totally try making your own seitan with wheat gluton!
But you’re right about making musubi with other varieties of protein. Thanks for you nice comment about my handmade rice balls.
Nice bento! You show us how yummy the bento can be without any real meats. Don’t know if I can get the seitan from the vegetarian supermarket around here. I think they have it … will try later
Hi Lia, Thank you for you nice comments as always! I hope you are able find some seitan. It’ really quite yummy.
Yummy vegetarian bento! Love the stylish food pick and rich textures here Debra!
Hi Jenn, Thanks! The “sylish” food pick was made by stickers (given to me from a bento-friend)stuck onto a bamboo spear! Easy-peasy!
Well done on making them by hand! What does the little sign say? I don’t eat pork/ham/bacon etc so it’s interesting that you say there is a vegetarian / vegan salt that is bacon flavoured! I do enjoy a packet of Walkers Bacon Crisps if I go to UK or Subway, also vegetarian friendly!
Hi Asfora, I know! Baconsalt! Here’s their site http://www.baconsalt.com/ not sure if you can find it in the UK.
I don’t know what the little sticker says! I just thought it was pretty. LOL!
Oh! This sounds really good, but darlin, BaconSalt is not vegan!It’s got milk in it
According to their wesbite….
Hi Brandie! Oh darn. Thanks for pointing that out to me.