{"id":339359,"date":"2021-03-02T06:05:25","date_gmt":"2021-03-01T20:05:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/?p=339359"},"modified":"2021-03-02T06:05:25","modified_gmt":"2021-03-01T20:05:25","slug":"chinen-ice-candy-taste-of-childhood","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/chinen-ice-candy-taste-of-childhood\/","title":{"rendered":"Chinen Ice Candy: Taste of childhood"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Chinen Ice Candy can be bought at the company\u2019s doorstep along Puti Tainobue Avenue in Garapan in the street right after D\u2019Elegance Restaurant and a stone\u2019s throw away from Holiday Saipan hotel and Healing Stone Spa. (Photos by MARK RABAGO)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Chinen Ice Candy is still the cold dessert of choice for most locals, especially for those who grew up in \u201970s, \u201980s, and \u201990s who just couldn\u2019t resist the numbing sweet syrupy goodness of \u201cice keki.\u201d<\/p>\n

It has become so ingrained in the CNMI\u2019s culture that service members assigned abroad usually have Chinen Ice Candy at the top of their care package list and order all its five different flavors\u2014soda (blue), melon (green), pineapple (yellow), orange (orange), and strawberry (pink).<\/p>\n

Even neighboring Guam hasn\u2019t escaped the lure of the little treat, as former Saipan residents who have relocated to the U.S. territory have shared Chinen Ice Candy with their neighbors. As a result, those coming to Saipan from Guam are usually inundated with requests to bring Chinen Ice Candy as \u201cpasalubong\u201d on their return.<\/p>\n

Chinen Ice Candy was established in 1972 by Toshinori Chinen, who originally was from Okinawa, Japan. Since his untimely death in 2013, his widow, Emerenciana, has been managing Chinen Ice Candy.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt first my husband used to walk around the neighborhood to sell ice candy and when people learned about how good the ice candy is, they always seem to come to the street and wait for him,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Through Toshinori Chinen\u2019s hard work and perseverance, Chinen Ice Candy soon flourished and he was able to buy a small van and began to sell to stores around the island.<\/p>\n

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Chinen Ice Candy owner Emerencian Chinen holds up their five flavors\u2014soda (blue), melon (green), pineapple (yellow), orange (orange), and strawberry (pink).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cAfter school he used to park his small van in front of Mount Carmel School and wait for the children to come and buy ice candy. Sometimes he played \u2018Jack En Poy\u2019 (rock, paper, scissors) with the kids and challenged them and if they win he gave them free ice candy. Sometimes if the kids don’t have enough money, he still gives them ice candy,\u201d said Emerenciana Chinen.<\/p>\n

Toshinori Chinen simply loved children and that was why he joked and played with them while doing his rounds selling ice candy.<\/p>\n

\u201cEventually, not only children but even adults would come to love his ice candy and they began calling him \u2018Mr. Ice Keki Man.\u2019 You know, he talks and jokes a lot, maybe that is the reason it became popular until now,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Chinen Ice Candy, however, has been on a slide since Typhoon Soudelor ravaged the islands in 2015 and its sales continued to decline more due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don’t make ice candy everyday anymore like we used to. When we do make ice candy we produce about 25,000 pieces in one batch. We also used to deliver to different stores on island from Kagman to Koblerville, but after Typhoon Soudelor we no longer do any deliveries to stores. We were badly affected by the typhoon.\u201d<\/p>\n

To make matters worse, the pandemic essentially shut down Chinen Ice Candy\u2019s imports to Guam. \u201cMost of our customers are from Guam and some locals buy ice candy and send it to the U.S. Also locals who join the military would ask their family here to send them ice candy in Iraq and Afghanistan. When the pandemic started, the business was still okay but when they stopped flights to and from Guam it really affected our business. This time it’s hard to make a plan. \u2026We don’t really know what will happen next,\u201d added Emerciana Chinen.<\/p>\n

She has not lost hope and is planning to soon revive the company\u2019s delivery service to groceries and other markets on Saipan. \u201cThis is my husband’s legacy and I will continue to take care of this business. And to our customer, I want to thank you for your continued support even years after my husband passed,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

For now, Chinen Ice Candy can be bought at the company\u2019s doorstep along Puti Tainobue Avenue in Garapan in the street right after D\u2019Elegance Restaurant and a stone\u2019s throw away from Holiday Saipan hotel and Healing Stone Spa. For more information or for bulk orders in advance, call 234-6233.<\/p>\n

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Chinen Ice Candy doesn\u2019t make ice candy everyday anymore like it used to and only produces about 25,000 pieces in one batch.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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