Work through the list in order. Hide the notes when you know what to do.
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Try chicken kelaguen (kelaguen mannok)
Guam's quintessential dish of finely minced grilled or boiled chicken cured in fresh lemon or calamansi juice, tossed with freshly grated coconut, scallions, and fiery hot peppers. Served cold or at room temperature.
Authentic kelaguen requires fresh hand-grated coconut rather than dried flakes and is traditionally scooped up using warm, pliable titiyas flatbread.
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Order red rice (hinehkuk agaga')
The iconic staple of the Chamorro table: short-grain rice stained vibrant orange-red using water steeped with achiote (annatto) seeds, cooked with sautéed onions, garlic, and bacon drippings.
Red rice is earthy and savory, not spicy. Watch out for tourist cafeterias that substitute real achiote seed extraction with artificial coloring powders.
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Try Chamorro barbecue
Pork spareribs or bone-in chicken thighs soaked in a marinade of soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, and black pepper, then charred over local tangan-tangan wood coals.
The tastiest skewers are found at smoke-filled street stalls at the Hagåtña Wednesday night market; look for deep caramelized edges kissed by wood smoke.
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Try kadun pika
A deeply comforting, spicy stew of chicken simmered with soy sauce, vinegar, heaps of garlic, onions, black pepper, and fiery local chilies, frequently finished with rich coconut milk.
The word 'pika' means spicy in Chamorro; pair this zesty stew with plenty of steamed rice to balance the formidable heat of the peppers.
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Try tinaktak
A home-style dish of ground beef simmered in creamy coconut milk alongside chopped long yardlong beans, diced tomatoes, and onions. The name mimics the rhythmic thud of mincing meat.
A proper tinaktak balances rich coconut cream with a splash of vinegar or calamansi juice to cut through the richness of the ground beef.
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Try Chamorro empanada
A uniquely Chamorro turnover featuring a crunchy masa crust colored bright orange with achiote, stuffed with a seasoned, thick paste of ground toasted rice, shredded chicken, and onions.
Unlike soft baked Latin pastries, Guam's empanada is deep-fried to a brittle, satisfying crunch; grab them fresh in the morning at roadside convenience stores and bakeries.
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Try titiyas flatbread
A traditional Chamorro flatbread akin to a thick Mexican tortilla. It comes as either a savory corn version (titiyas mai'es) or a slightly sweet, rich wheat-and-coconut flour version (titiyas hågon).
Sweet coconut titiyas make a delightful breakfast treat with butter, while plain corn titiyas are the mandatory edible utensil used to scoop up kelaguen.
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Season your food with fina'denne'
The soul of the Chamorro table: an indispensable table sauce made from soy sauce, vinegar or calamansi juice, diced white onions, scallions, and crushed hot boonie peppers.
Look for two styles: soy sauce-based (for red meat, chicken, and rice) and clear vinegar-salt-based (favored for fried fish and seafood).
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Try golai hågon suni
A classic vegetarian side dish made from tender young taro leaves simmered slowly in thick coconut milk, scented with garlic, onions, and turmeric until creamy.
Taro leaves must be thoroughly cooked to break down natural calcium oxalate crystals; the resulting puree is silky, earthy, and richly comforting.
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Try chalakiles soup
A comforting, thick toasted rice soup made by browning dry rice grains before grinding them, then simmering with shredded chicken, rich broth, garlic, and achiote for color.
Toasting the dry rice infuses the porridge with a distinctive smoky, nutty aroma; this hearty bowl is a beloved fixture at rainy-day family gatherings.
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Try kadon estufao
Guam's take on vinegar-soy braising: chunks of pork or bone-in chicken stewed tender in a pungent sauce of distilled vinegar, dark soy sauce, crushed garlic, and bay leaves.
Chamorro estufao is generally cooked with more savory braising gravy than its Filipino adobo counterpart, designed specifically to saturate mounds of red rice.
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Try local lumpia
Crispy fried spring rolls packed with seasoned minced pork, grated carrots, cabbage, and bean sprouts, embraced from Filipino heritage as an indispensable party staple.
Locals skip cloying bottled sweet chili sauce, preferring to dunk piping hot lumpia into house-made sweet-sour dip or zesty garlic-vinegar fina'denne'.
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Try breadfruit chips (lemai)
A crisp island snack crafted from mature, firm breadfruit (lemai) sliced paper-thin and deep-fried in oil until golden, seasoned simply with sea salt.
Denser and crunchier than potato crisps, bags of fresh lemai chips are best purchased directly from local fruit stands along the southern coastal roads.
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Try latiya Desserts and pastries
Guam's beloved celebration dessert: a base of sponge cake smothered under a thick blanket of warm, rich vanilla-egg custard, finished with a heavy dusting of cinnamon.
Chilled until set, the custard stays glossy while soaking into the sponge; find top-tier slices at old-school village bakeries rather than resort hotel buffets.
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Try apigigi' Desserts and pastries
A chewy, sticky sweet treat made from freshly grated cassava, coconut milk, sugar, and young coconut meat strips, wrapped inside a banana leaf and grilled over glowing charcoal.
Charring the banana leaf wrapper imparts an irreplaceable herbal, smoky aroma; unwrap and eat them piping hot directly from night market vendors.
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Try yam doughnuts (buñelos dâgu) Desserts and pastries
Seasonal holiday doughnuts made from finely grated fresh white yam (dâgu) and flour, deep-fried into golden spheres that remain crisp outside and melt-in-the-mouth inside, coated in sugar syrup.
Traditionally a Christmas treat during the winter yam harvest; outside the season, look for buñelos aga made with ripe mashed bananas instead.
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Try guyuria cookies Desserts and pastries
The famous Chamorro jawbreaker cookie: a dense dough of flour and coconut milk rolled on the back of a fork into ridged shells, deep-fried rock-hard, and glazed with crystallized sugar syrup.
Thanks to their deep crunch and glazed shell, these cookies keep for months; pick up locally produced bags in village grocery stores as the ultimate edible souvenir.
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Drink Chamorro cantaloupe melon juice Non-alcoholic drinks
An iconic fiesta thirst-quencher: ripe cantaloupe shredded into thin ribbons and combined with ice-cold water, evaporated or condensed milk, sugar, and crushed ice.
Served ice-cold from enormous coolers at outdoor parties; the shredded strands of melon float in the sweet milk, giving it a playful bubble-tea-like texture.
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Try fresh calamansi juice Non-alcoholic drinks
Freshly squeezed juice of miniature island calamansi limes, balancing sharp citric tang with a floral mandarin aroma, served over ice sweetened with cane syrup or honey.
Its high acidity and fragrant aroma make it the perfect palate-cleanser alongside smoky, rich barbecue plates in Guam's humid climate.
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Try Guam-style sweet iced tea Non-alcoholic drinks
Robustly brewed black tea sweetened with sugar and spiked with tart freshly squeezed calamansi citrus, served ice-cold at virtually every diner counter.
Avoid commercial fountain dispensers and ask for house-brewed tea infused with fresh citrus at independent roadside eateries.
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Try tubâ (fermented coconut sap) Local alcohol
Guam's historic native beverage: the sweet sap tapped from unopened coconut blossoms, naturally fermented within hours into a cloudy, mildly fizzy, tart low-alcohol drink.
Freshly tapped tubâ is sweet; within 24 hours wild yeasts turn it mildly alcoholic, and eventually into vinegar. Look for it at cultural events and village fruit stalls.
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Try local island craft beer Local alcohol
Fresh island ales crafted by Guam's local microbreweries, featuring styles infused with local ingredients like calamansi citrus, tropical mango, or a subtle kick of boonie peppers.
A crisp calamansi blonde ale or dry-hopped island lager pairs brilliantly with the savory fat and smoke of a loaded fiesta plate.
