All About the Malasada, Hawai‘i's Favorite Fried Treat (2024)

FAQs

What are some fun facts about malasadas? ›

The malasada, a small, deep fried dough confection, has become integrated into the broad spectrum of “local food.” The Portuguese sweet treat was first brought to Hawaii by Portuguese laborers from the Azores and Madeira Islands who came to work in the sugar plantations.

It's an understatement to call malasadas part of Hawaii's culinary gifts. Ever since an influx of Portuguese farmers brought the recipe to the region at the end of the 19th century, these fried donuts have become a staple of Hawaiian pastry shops.

Serve and store. Serve warm or at room temperature. The malasadas are best the day they're made, but you can store any leftovers under a cake dome or a large bowl turned upside down for up to 1 day. After 1 day, transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 2 more days.

Malasadas are said to be a speciality of the island of São Miguel, an island in the Azores that was first settled by the Portuguese in 1427. The name, sometimes spelled malassadas means "poorly cooked," a reference to the almost crisp, sugary exterior contrasted by a soft, doughy crumb.

Malasada Day which dates back to the days of the sugar plantations of the 1800s. always falls on the day before Ash Wednesday and is also known as Shrove Tuesday or Fat Tuesday. It refers to the practice of the last night of eating richer, fatty foods and desserts before the ritual fasting of the Lenten season.

Hawaii. In 1878, Portuguese laborers from Madeira and the Azores immigrated to Hawaii to work in the plantations. They brought with them their traditional foods, including malassadas―where it is now commonly spelled as malasadas.

A malasada is a Portugese doughnut without a hole. We fry generously-sized balls of dough until it's golden brown on the outside and light & fluffy on the inside.

The poi malasadas here are to die for. It's like a regular malasada but purple inside because of the taro.

For filled malasadas, you can refrigerate them overnight and microwave for 10 sec/donut. If you want to eat them within the day, you can keep them at room temperature.

Can you freeze malasada? ›

MALASADA Faq

You can freeze them if you want to keep them longer. What type of oil do you fry malasadas in?

Hawaiian Malasadas taste best the day they are made. You can extend the shelf-life by storing the malasada in an airtight container, either at room temperature for 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. If you fill your Hawaiian Malasada, they will require refrigeration.

In Hawaii, however, malasadas are often filled with tropical treats such as coconut pudding, guava cream or passion fruit curd. Although malasadas sound similar to beignets (the French fried dough dessert popular in New Orleans) and both are served on Mardi Gras, the dough differs.

In Portugal, Fat Tuesday is called Terça-feira Gorda. And that also marks the last day of the Carnival of Madeira. In order to use up all of the lard and sugar in the house ahead of Lent the tradition was to make malasadas with all of the butter and sugar they had.

The modern-day donut has ties to World War I when a group of Salvation Army volunteers went to France and created donuts for the soldiers. The first jelly-filled donut was introduced by Adolph Levitt, who also brought us the Long Johns at this time.

In the most basic terms, the malasada is a yeast donut, sans hole. The dough is distinguished from that of other yeast donuts by its egginess and also by the use of milk (often evaporated).

The malasada, Hawaii's beloved donut, tastes of home — and maybe guava. Hawaii's twist on the traditional donut — yeasted, puffy, doughy malasadas, inspired by Portuguese immigrants — are a symbolically laden part of the islands' vibrant food culture.