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Hafa
adai,
This
time, I’d like to introduce a spot where you can catch a glimpse of the local
people’s way of life. The location is Dededo, the village with the largest
population on Guam. It is an area with vast residential neighborhoods. In
addition to large supermarkets, there are countless small shops. As for
restaurants, instead of big-chain franchises, you’ll find many family-style
restaurants that offer dishes tailored to the tastes of the local people.
This
time, I visited the weekly Food Truck Night held every Tuesday evening, a
popular spot for satisfying the appetites of both the people of Dededo and
those from Yigo, which is located to the north of Dededo.
The
food trucks gather in the center of Dededo, at a spot that was once the venue
for the weekend Dededo Flea Market. On this day, there were nearly 20 trucks
present.
Delicious
aromas wafted from each truck. Of course, BBQ, the soul food of the people of
Guam, was available. There were also a variety of other dishes, but the BBQ
trucks always had a crowd gathered around them.
In
recent years, Mexican food has rapidly gained popularity in Guam. Mexican
cuisine, originally popular in the southern United States as Tex-Mex, has been
around in Guam for quite some time. However, in the last few years, it has
expanded into food trucks as well.
On
this day, in addition to BBQ, burgers, takoyaki, and yakisoba (Japanese
dishes), there were many Mexican food trucks. Tacos, burritos, quesadillas, and
nachos were featured, with each truck offering their own unique twists on these
items.
Since
Dededo has a large population, visiting here gives you a good sense of the
local food preferences and popular dishes of the people of Guam.
In
addition to food, there were also stands offering cold drinks and sweets. The
drink stands featuring fresh fruit juices were especially popular.
Given
the location, there are hardly any tourists around, and while some trucks have
tables in front, most people take their food home. Since the spot is located
along Route 1, many people stop by after work or school, with the busiest time
being between 6-7 PM.
Experiencing
the daily life of the locals is made possible by having a rental car. On
Tuesday nights, heading out to Dededo, checking out the lines in front of the
trucks, and trying out popular dishes among the locals can be a fun experience.
