The New Costco Deli Find Fans Say Costs More Than It's Worth: 'Absolutely Diabolical'

Costco's deli department can be a great place to pick up an easy and delicious meal (I can vouch for the Kirkland Signature Italian Sausage and Pasta in Wine Sauce), but every now and then, you may find something that isn't as great a deal as it seems. A few Costco superfans recently posted videos about finding a new Hawaiian snack in the prepared food section, but it's left some shoppers unimpressed.

It's a four-pack of Spam musubi, priced at $9.99 per pound (around $10 to $12 total). If you're not familiar with it, Spam musubi is simply a compressed block of rice with grilled Spam on top (typically with a sweet soy glaze), and it's wrapped with a bit of nori, or seaweed paper, to keep the processed pork from sliding off. Costco's version also has a touch of furikake (a dry rice seasoning), sprinkled on for good measure. 

Social media users were quick to jump on this one, and not in a good way. One Instagram user wrote, "$12 for 4 musubis is absolutely diabolical." Another said, "Almost $12? This takes like 15 minutes to make and about $2 in raw ingredients for that same amount of musabi. [sic]" 

While Costco seems to nail it with plenty of its prepared foods, this time the warehouse giant can't sneak one by people who recognize the snack for what it is. As you can imagine, thanks to its simplicity, one key feature of musubi is that it's almost always cheap, usually no more than a few dollars. And none of us are going to pretend that Spam is high-end; it's a processed pork product that comes in a rectangular shelf-stable can. Spam is beloved in Hawaii for being an affordable way to enjoy protein, while also being able to stay good in pantries for long periods of time. 

Granted, the Spam musubi from Costco is huge, weighing just over ¼-pound per piece, based on the four-pack serving size and price. However, much of it is made up of rice, and some customers already aren't fans of Costco's rice, at least in its fresh sushi trays. A TikTok user wrote that they would be mad if "it's that cold starchy rice." However, the product does include reheating instructions — simply pop the musubi in the microwave for 30 seconds, which Instagrammer @costcohotfinds said it's "extra good" after warming up. Still, this is a product that just might be hard to swallow for some people.