Worth the trip across the entire island to try it — Guam’s oldest city hides an authentic “Guamanian” breakfast

While traveling, aside from the breakfast offered by your hotel, Inarajan — the oldest city in Guam — preserves historical sites dating back to the Spanish era all the way to the present day, while also being rich in Chamorro culture and history. Visiting this place allows you to enjoy delicious food while taking a cultural journey at the same time. A local bakery that has only been open for five years is so popular that residents are willing to drive all the way from the northernmost part of the island to the southern tip just to enjoy freshly baked sweet bread and pizza.

With a long history of colonization, Guam has become a food island that blends culinary influences from many countries. Aside from the numerous restaurants in Tumon Bay, there are also plenty of hidden local delicacies worth exploring and tasting. Among them, Inarajan is the oldest city in Guam. It not only preserves historical sites such as the Gef Pa’go Cultural Village, the ancient cave with original Chamorro graffiti (Chief Gadao’s Cave), San Jose Church, and George Flores Old Store, but it also offers an officially recommended must-try baked good in southern Guam — oven-baked bread.

Hotnu Bakery, located in the Inarajan Historic Village, gets its name from the Chamorro word for “oven.” It serves freshly baked bread only on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays during limited hours. Influenced by the dietary culture of the Spanish era, it uses traditional Spanish brick ovens to bake sweet breads such as coconut bread coated with icing sugar, cinnamon rolls, and chocolate coconut cinnamon rolls. It also offers a variety of pizza flavors such as Italian sausage, German sausage, chicken with Thousand Island dressing, American-style cured meat, and cheese. The deliciousness is so enticing that locals are willing to drive from the northernmost to the southernmost part of the island just to have freshly baked bread.

Moreover, this bakery also offers a morning-only “red rice” bento, soup, and sandwiches. If you want to try an authentic “Guamanian” breakfast, be sure to wake up early and head over in time. Additionally, to celebrate its fifth anniversary, the shop will hold a street-closing party on October 8th. In addition to cultural performances and live music, there will be many vendors selling Chamorro specialties and snacks, offering a deeper insight into Guam’s traditional culture.