Hoi…..
"Na poble" is the Chamorro term for "food of the poor". One may consider this a derogatory statement but I feel it is not. In my opinion, this term can more or less identify the types of food the Chamorro's of past and present consumed.
I was having dinner with my wife and four kids and the topic of food became the focal point of our discussion. It seemed that my children were unhappy with the fact we were having "kadun atulai" or "mackerel soup" again.
Having come from a family of 10 children, we learned to appreciate what ever was placed on the table. Every once in a while we would be treated to "na rico" or "food of the rich" which believe it or not, consisted of pizza from Pizza Hut and Big Mac's from McDonalds. Oh how we dreamed of those days as children.
It is important to note on those special days we were treated to "fast food" there was always a side dish of rice and "na poble" for Mom and Dad. As children, we never understood why the grown ups were not fond of the westernized foods. Now that I am a young adult, I can relate to how my parents felt about what we now call "junk food"
The irony behind this issue is that "na poble" should be inexpensive in terms of dollars. If you put an economist to the test his analysis will clearly state that in this modern day Guam, the "food of the poor" costs a heck of allot more than all other foods.
I am always up to the challenge when it comes to proving my theory so here's a little comparison that will rest my case.
Deer meat: $5.00 / lb (chances are you CAN'T BUY IT): Beef: $2.50 - $4.50 /lb. Sweet Potato: $2.50 / lb. : U.S. Potato $0.75 / lb. Taro leaf (local spinach) bunch: $3.00: Can Spinach 17 oz. $1.50 / can Manahac (fresh) 20 oz. Equivalent $5.00: Jar of imported manahac 20 oz. $1.95 Sesjun (rabbit fish) $4.00-$4.95 / LB.: Imported: $1.79 / lb.
The list goes on but for simplicity sake, we'll keep it at that!
Perhaps the real reason for this tale is to illustrate how important the Chamorro culture is to the people of Guam. If anyone is willing to pay the price for "na poble" delicacies then I suppose that is a good enough reason for me to believe the culture is still deeply ingrained in our hearts and of course in our stomachs!
And oh…. I'll have a side dish of rice to go with my spaghetti…..Only On Guam (O.O.G.)
Esta...
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