What is it about food served from a big white van or truck that makes it so tasty and intriguing? I have noticed over the years that you can get some great food from these “vans” and THG is intent on investigating this phenomenon more over the next few weeks and months. The ice cream truck, shrimp trucks, taco vans/stands and the ole’ reliable construction site van (roach coach) are but a couple of examples of white van dining. Strangely enough it seems that a lot of white van food is of the seafood variety, is this mere coincidence or by convenience?
The North Shore shrimp truck
However, the most infamous white van food is the manapu’a! Manapu’a is generally found in Hawai’i and is a dough pastry-like creation filled with a meat ie: beef or chicken. The greatest single thing about manapu’a is the feeling that everyone of these treats are sold by a guy named “Qui-Chan”!
Qui-Chan is a little man, who drives the white van. He is of course……the Manapu’a Man! He can take some stuff put’em in some dough….fry’em real good….sell’em on the side of the road…..
That little tune always puts a smile on my face!
-THG
