The "canned meat" takes me back to a year the other DrC and I spent on Guam, as visiting professors. We quickly learned the local people, called Chamorros, love Spam as much as the Hawaiians do.
While we were on Guam the workers at Hormel's Minnesota Spam cannery went on strike. The Spam strike was front page news on the island's newspaper, the Pacific Daily News. Guam's markets experienced a run on Spam, which sold out almost immediately.
Local lore held that Spam was prized as "typhoon food" because it keeps for years and can be eaten cold, if necessary. That was mostly urban legend. Local people ate Spam when the weather was fine, which was most of the time.
The best fried rice I ever ate was at a restaurant named Shirley's on Guam. It was so good it was a popular main dish. I think Spam was an ingredient. And I much enjoyed the lumpia, Filipino spring rolls.
Chamorros also loved fried chicken. The relatively small island had 3 KFC stores at which you could buy a 64 piece box of regular or extra crispy. The huge boxes were great for fiestas, big outdoor parties much loved by all.
A roast pig was often the centerpiece of a fiesta, bland to my palate but much favored by Chamorros. When you left a fiesta you were normally sent home with a plate of food. Very warm, hospitable people. I could tell Guam stories all night.
