'Come and let's eat' at Guam food festival

MANILA, Philippines - One of the many things that the people from Guam and the Philippines share is a love for good food.

From May 26 to 28, Guam will celebrate over 500 years of delicious traditional Chamorro dishes through their annual food festival “Maila Ta Fan Boka.” Named after the Chamorro phrase “come and let’s eat,” Maila Ta Fan Boka will coincide with Tourism Month in Guam, which is the whole month of May. Activities during the festival include a culinary competition, farm tours, and other exciting events unique to Guam’s history and culture.

The culinary adventure starts in the village of Talofofo, south of Guam. The mango plantation is just one of the many businesses owned by the Camacho family in the country. It has about 1,000 Carabao mango trees, a variety originating from the Philippines. The mangoes in this plantation are of excellent quality.

Opened in 1996, Hamamoto Tropical Fruit World is a familiar destination to tourists, where all plants and fruits are grown organically. For visitors interested in taking home a piece of the farm with them, products like fruit jam are available at the gift shop.

Next stop on the festival’s itinerary is the Hydroponic Lettuce Farm. Lettuces are grown free of dirt and pesticides. Only water is used to keep produce fresh and flavorful. Among the types of lettuce that can be enjoyed from this stop are red butter, green butter, red oak leaf, Greek oak leaf, and frisee.

Drive south and take part in the upcoming Agat Mango Festival 2011, held from May 28 to 29 at the Agat San Bisita. Agat village is known for its abundance of mango trees that can be seen from its streets.

The annual festival, which is celebrating its fifth year, is centered on mangoes and families. Events include a 2K and 5K run, paddle race and paddle canoe race. The Mango Cook-off Competition is also a must-attend event to get pointers from Guam’s well-known chefs and see them cook their way to win.

At the Maila Ta Fan Boka Culinary Competition, contestants from both professional and amateur categories will highlight Chamorro cuisine using local recipes. Media, food critics, and food writers from different countries are invited to witness this gastronomic event.

Maila Ta Fan Boka is sponsored by the Guam Visitors Bureau along with the Guam Community College, the Micronesian Chefs Association, and GHRA (Guam Hotel and Restaurants Association).  For more information on the festival or Guam, contact the Guam Visitors Bureau at 519-6756. Follow Guam on Facebook at www.facebook.com/i.like.guam to be updated on the nation’s latest happenings.