Food in Chamorro Culture

The native food of Guam is largely based on what early ancestors could gather, grow and hunt from the land, plus what they could catch and harvest from the ocean. The Tree of Life, the coconut, offered much in the way of copra, oil, coconut water and coconut milk, as did many other fruit and vegetables.

Fish and other seafood, and edible seaweed were bountiful, and later, colonial and occupational times allowed for more crops, better farming methods and a consistent harvest from Guam's lush volcanic soils.

Following the end of World War II, Guam was inundated with food from the U.S. mainland, notably canned processed foods, which islanders embraced for their flavor and ease of preparation.

Since then, Guam, as the hub of the Pacific, has also become a food capital, blending regional tastes with dozens of cuisines to reflect the melting pot of its people.

Today, Guam is a leader in Pacific Rim cuisine and is at the forefront of the culinary revolution that embraced the world in the mid-90s. Its many talented cooks and chefs constantly push the standards of flavors and presentations, and it is easy to find a world-class meal on Guam.