Maui's Best Ice-Cream: Tasaka Guri Guri

In my recent travels to Maui, I encountered many spots of interest for hungry tourists. There were luxurious seafood restaurants, hip hamburger joints, and popular ice-cream and smoothie shops. However, over time, I became weary of these places; they all seemed to offer the same things, at the same exorbitant prices. I couldn't even bring myself to buy anything from them. Call me picky, but as a consumer, I need to be wowed.

Then towards the end of my trip, I ended up in Kahului, which is the last place a tourist would want to end up in Maui, considering the vast choices of scenic playgrounds all throughout the island that cater to the wealthy and adventurous. Kahului is sprawled out with empty malls and highways, thus rendering it with an outsider-unfriendly atmosphere. I myself walked to the Maui mall, which appeared to be a ghost-town, with its closed shops and listless background music. Around the corner, I saw a shop with a quiet little sign "Tasaka Guri Guri." Definitely intrigued, I wandered in to find a man and a woman standing by two gigantic tubs of bright pink and pale yellow ice-cream. I was shocked at the low prices: two scoops went for about a buck. This seemed impossible, for other shops charged three to five times more than that for the same amount. Half-expecting poor quality, I decided to just try two scoops to see if I'd like it at all. I asked what the flavors were; the pink one was strawberry, the yellow, pineapple. I didn't take my first bite until I left the shop.

The taste was incredible. My gustatory senses were overwhelmed by how unique and delicious this concoction was. It was sherbet-like, but with the creaminess of ice-cream. It reminded me of these ice-cream treats that I would eat as a kid in the rural parts of Japan. I not only wanted to find out what this delight was made of, but also, what the story behind this quaint little shop was. Did it harbor a secret that was only known by locals?

After speaking with some locals, I discovered that this ice-cream was practically legendary in Hawaii. The Tasaka family began the homemade sherbet business, drawing in numerous customers with the distinctive taste. The name "guri guri" came from the way that Japanese plantation workers would chant "goodie goodie" as they bought this treat during the plantation days of Hawaii, which began in the latter part of the 19^th century.

I was surprised to discover other things about this store as well. Apparently, President Clinton had patronized the shop, as do many Japanese tourists. Later on, I heard another Japanese tourist mention that she sent the two-quart "Cold Pack" to some friends in California as a souvenir, as she fell in love with the ice-cream. So did her friends. As for me, I'm still trying to figure out the secret, and have been playing with mixing condensed milk with juices and fruit, but my attempts pale in comparison with the real thing. The secret ingredients reside amongst the family members. Nonetheless, I would highly recommend visiting this shop if you are ever in Maui. Sometimes the best experiences of a popular place arise when you're willing to explore the local scenes.