With its retro neon sign, pink-and-white-striped awning, blue script logo, and the usual line outside, Leonard’s Bakery has become a can’t miss destination for foodies on Oʻahu. The bakery, a family business that’s been famously featured in guidebooks, food blogs, Instagram roundups and more, is dedicated to keeping a local tradition alive. Since opening in […]
*This story was originally published on Jun. 24, 2015 Where did the Spam musubi originate? What does “manapua” mean? We traced the history of five Hawaiʻi comfort food favorites all the way back to their earliest origins to decipher the roots of their modern-day multicultural appeal. Malasadas These chewy, steamed or baked buns, filled
Tiana Sudaria grew up going to Kaua‘i Bakery. Her favorite was always the bakery’s oversize cinnamon rolls. And every family birthday featured its guava chiffon cake. When she and her husband, Dante, heard it might be shutting down, they weren’t having it. An institution like Kaua‘i Bakery can’t close, they said. So they bought it.
Hawaiʻi Island, nicknamed the Big Island, is known for its grand natural wonders. Travelers can witness a fiery eruption at Kīlauea, hike to a 420-foot waterfall, ride horses in paniolo (cowboy) country, swim with manta rays and trek to a black-sand beach—and more, all on the largest Hawaiian island. Then, after working up an appetite,
Mardi Gras, also known as Fat Tuesday, is when we stuff ourselves with guilty pleasures before Ash Wednesday, the day that marks the start of Lent and what feels like an endless 40-days of fasting. In Hawaiʻi, devouring copious amounts of malasadas on Fat Tuesday is a local tradition. The deep-fried doughnut represents the blend
Growing up in Kailua on O‘ahu’s Windward Side, Ryan Katsuno would go to Agnes’ Portuguese Bake Shop at least once a week, stocking up on sweet bread, pastries and—the bakery’s signature treat—malasadas. Malasadas are Hawai‘i’s quintessential comfort food. They’re basically deep-fried, sugar-dusted doughnuts, brought to Hawai‘i with the 1878 arrival of Portuguese plantation laborers from the Madeira and Azores islands. And
The buzz started on Instagram. A new food truck had opened in Kailua on Oʻahu, in the parking lot of Manuhealiʻi (5 Hoʻolai St.)—and it was selling freshly made malasadas. SEE ALSO: So What’s the Big Deal with Malasadas? And even better than that, it was selling freshly made malasadas by Agnes’ Portuguese Bake Shop,
This is part of our “Shop With Aloha” series. If you’re searching supermarkets and online stores for flour and yeast to fulfill your #quarantinelife carb habit, stop. We’ve got a way easier—and tastier—way to satisfy your isolation cravings: Order fresh malasadas from Hawaiʻi.
I grew up eating malasadas—after surfing, at the office, on Fat Tuesday (like today)—but it wasn’t until I was working as a food writer that I realized their Portuguese origins aren’t so clear cut. These deep-fried, sugar-dusted doughnuts were brought to Hawaiʻi with the 1878 arrival of Portuguese plantation laborers from the Madeira and Azores islands.
