The Manapua Man: Then and Now

HawaiiEats

You hear the tinkling bells and the chiming music and suddenly the front doors all along the street are opening, their occupants calling out to the large white truck making its way across town. This is the Wagon Man or Manapua Truck as we know it today. The manapua man or rather manapua men (for there are quite a few of them) are infamous in my home town of Waimanalo.

Cha siu baau are Cantonese barbecue pork buns. The buns are filled with barbecue-flavoured pork. In Hawaiian pidgin the item is called Manapua. The word does not mean “chewed-up” (mana) “pork” (puaʻa) in the Hawaiian language, as its spelling suggests. Rather, the current form is a shortening of meaʻono-puaʻa, meaning “pork cake” (meaʻono meaning “cake”). — Cha siu baau – Wikipedia

The truck is a literal store on wheels, selling various food items like fried noodles, the popular spam musubi, the sour candy, the ice cream and, of course — manapua, the truck’s namesake. Growing up, it would always be so exhilarating to run out to the driveway, call out his name, and have him pull up to the curb. My cousin and I would run barefoot to the truck’s side door and hoist ourselves up onto the ledge. We would hold onto the bar right above the truck’s counter and beg our grandma to buy this and buy that…and maybe a little bit of everything. Children are the manapua man’s greatest customers.

Yet, this neighborhood tradition has been around for many years. My Aunty Hale remembers growing up in Mayor Wright Housing in Kalihi where she insists the “real” manapua man originates. Because where she was growing up, the manapua man quite literally was a man who walked around the neighborhood selling fresh manapua from buckets he carried on his shoulders. And sometimes, he would sell other delicacies, like fried noodles.

She exclaims excitedly, “You know what else? You could get a whole dish of noodles for five cents!” Back then, the relationship between the manapua man and the residents was closer. It wasn’t always about business. It wasn’t just about selling a product. It was about being a part of a community. It was about helping a friend.

Aunty Hale says that her mother Mary Ann Diaz used to always invite the manapua man to sit on their front steps and have tea with her. Every time he would come, my great-grandmother would be ready to receive him. It was that kind of life. She was that kind of person.

Now, the manapua man has obviously upgraded, but there are still hints of the history staying strong. It’s not uncommon for a manapua man to “talk story” with his customers and to call them by name. Most manapua men have stationary vehicles that allow the customers to come to them. This is convenient for central areas so that people in need of lunch can just step out of their office and buy a quick plate lunch or cup of noodles. Yet, some manapua men still work in the old ways. More suburban towns such as Waimanalo still have their manapua trucks cruising the streets, their music a peaceful sound in the quiet of the neighborhood and their snacks a treat to look forward to.

What are your memories of the manapua man or manapua trucks visiting your neighborhoods?