It's not ice cream, it's not sorbet, it's not sherbert, it's not shaved ice, it's not an icee, it's not gelato. It's guri guri, and it's the second of four memorable eats I had in Maui.
Guri guri is a uniquely Hawaiian treat that combines three simple ingredients: 7UP/Sprite, fruit juice/soda, and condensed milk. That's a pretty solid trio if you ask me. Not the most diabetic-friendly treat, but it's definitely worth having in moderation. Tasaka Guri Guri Shop is apparently the most famous and most popular guri guri provider in Hawaii, and my friend said that we had to go. So we went, and I'm so glad we did.
First of all, check out the prices. Two scoops for $1.10? Awesome. Second, notice the randomness of this shop. This place has everything a run-of-the-mill convenience store has, along with some random trinkets and toys. Third, who in their right mind is getting an icee instead of a scoop of guri guri? One scoop of guri guri, please.
Even though I didn't grow up eating guri guri, it made me feel nostalgic. The combination of soda, fruit juice, and condensed milk really drove home some classic childhood flavors. They only have two flavors: strawberry and pineapple. The strawberry flavor was great. It has all the strangely appealing artificial flavors of its ingredients, and had some hints of a bubblegum. I don't think they use any bubblegum when they make the guri guri, but maybe the extreme nostalgia of it all conjured up some nostalgia for Bazooka Joe, Big League Chew, and Bubble Tape. I've heard the pineapple flavor is really great too, but unfortunately, they were sold out of pineapple that day. I guess I'll have to get that next time.
More than anything, I enjoyed the consistency of it all. I didn't think I'd like the consistency, but it was actually nice having something that was neither sorbet nor ice cream. Each bite started off icy, ended creamy, and had me reaching for another addictive bite.
Unfortunately, I don't know of any guri guri providers in Seattle, but I can't wait for Seattle's weather to get warm enough to start craving some guri guri and other frozen treats.
Tasaka Guri Guri Shop
70 E Kaahumanu Ave.
Suite C13
Kahului, HI 96732
(808) 871-4513
GET: Guri Guri.
Want. Now.
ReplyDelete