Editor’s Note: Hafa adai, readers! This week the My Jungle Rules crew will be taking a little break. We will be back stronger than ever next week. In the meantime, enjoy this week’s podcast. If it doesn’t make you crave some island flavor, I don’t know what will!

There’s a kind of hunger that only Guam can satisfy — one that goes beyond food.
It’s the smell of barbecue drifting through a fiesta, the sharp hit of lemon and pepper in the air, and the unspoken rule that every guest should leave with a to-go plate.

In this My Jungle Voices episode, Rindraty, Steve, and Therese share the foods and traditions that shaped their idea of home — no matter how far away they are.

🍋 “It’s not just hunger for food — it’s hunger for home. For barbecue smoke in the air and lemon that hits before the first bite.”

For Therese, it begins with achote seeds and family chores — the little red stains of childhood that led to mastering red rice and lumpia.

The conversation winds through shared memories: how households had that meat grinder for kelaguen, how red rice can be a test of memory and salt, and how each fiesta table tells the story of Guam’s blend of cultures.

🍽️ “On Guam, even a table tells a story — pancit, lumpia, kelaguen, all sitting side by side like family.”

Even the act of cooking becomes a kind of island math — where five guests still means cooking for 20.
Food is abundance, hospitality, and love. It’s the way families plan for leftovers, measure generosity, and make sure no one leaves hungry.
“That’s how I learned to cook,” Rindraty says. “People should never walk away hungry from your table.”

❤️ “People should never walk away hungry from your table. That’s the rule — and the love — we all grew up with.”

By the end, the hosts remind us that what makes Guam’s food so special isn’t just the taste — it’s the connection.
The red rice, kelaguen, and crab from down south are more than recipes; they’re stories.
And like every good fiesta, there’s always enough to share.

🌺 “Food isn’t just what we eat. It’s how we remember, how we celebrate, and how we stay connected — even across oceans.”

🎧 Listen now: Only on Guam: The Taste of Home — wherever you get your podcasts.