This one is a rarity in itself. Meticulous preparation of the Federico Palm’s nuts is crucial, as they’re toxic when not properly prepared. I’ve never encountered dishes made with these nuts before, but they were yet another staple in traditional Chamorro life. In this post we will learn more about the Federico Palm in Guam and read about the steps for preparing it, along with three short recipes. This is the sixth part of the book Manmannge’ Na Nengkanno’ I Manchamorro Yan Taimanu Manmafa’tinas-niha written by Carmen C. Blas, which I found in the UOG Archives and Digital Collections website. This post includes the Chamorro text, an English translation, and a Chamorro audio narration by Jay Che’le. Happy reading!

Image Credit: “Understory habitation” by Chamorroplants671 available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Accessed from Wikipedia.

While it’s harder to come by in the Pacific Northwest, breadfruit is an abundant and beloved staple across most of the Pacific and the Marianas are no exception. Breadfruit season on Guam makes for plentiful supply. A few years ago, when we were visiting Guam with my cousin, we were lucky enough to enjoy some breadfruit, which we prepared by blackening in the barbecue coals and smashing open to enjoy with our meal. In this post we will learn more about breadfruit on Guam and read four short recipes for preparing it. This is the fifth part of the book Manmannge’ Na Nengkanno’ I Manchamorro Yan Taimanu Manmafa’tinas-niha written by Carmen C. Blas, which I found in the UOG Archives and Digital Collections website. This post includes the Chamorro text, an English translation, and a Chamorro audio narration by Jay Che’le. Happy reading!

Updated 15-Feb-2025: Added discussion notes from our Saturday morning practice group.

Chamorro recipes that use taro root or taro leaves were rare for me when I was growing up, as they weren’t easy for us to find here in the Pacific Northwest. It was more common for my grandmother to cook with other roots, particulary kamuti (sweet potato), and spinach leaves are a frequent subsitute for the taro leaves when cooking the gollai hagon suni. In this post we will learn more about taro on Guam, and read five short recipes for cooking taro. This is the fourth part of the book Manmannge’ Na Nengkanno’ I Manchamorro Yan Taimanu Manmafa’tinas-niha written by Carmen C. Blas, which I found in the UOG Archives and Digital Collections website. This post includes the Chamorro text, an English translation, and a Chamorro audio narration by Jay Che’le. Happy reading!

Updated Feb-8-2025 with discussion notes from our Saturday morning practice group.