by Mike Diamond
EDGE New York City Contributor
If paradise on Earth exists, then surely it must be Maui. The second largest of Hawaii’s six islands, Maui is an enchanting mix of beach, mountain and steamy jungle. Surprisingly, the most important words you will need in Maui are not sunblock, coconut, or even ’Aloha’, but ’Spam’ and ’POG’.
Yes, Spam. The canned meat product is inexplicably quite the popular food item on Maui; Spam pot stickers are for sale at convenience stores, and one sushi restaurant even jokingly lists a $500 ’Spam Musubi’ item on its menu. If Spam is the ’staple’ food of the island, then POG is its signature beverage. This sweet concoction of passion fruit, orange, and guava juices is available at every eatery and supermarket; its tangy, refreshing flavor perfectly captures the essence of the island.
Canned meat and fruit juice aside, Maui has much to offer, for everyone from the laziest sun worshipper to an adventure seeking globe trotter. Just beyond Kahului Airport are fields of grassy sugar cane; the air is heavy with the cloying, candied scent of burning sweetness. In the distance loom the Haleakala and Mauna Kahalawai mountains, their peaks swathed in ever present clouds. No matter where you’re from, you’re a long way from home baby.
