Malassada on arvau

Wikipedia / Malassada

Malassada is a Portuguese fried doughnut from Madeira. It is made of flattened rounds of yeasted dough, coated with sugar and cinnamon or accompanied with molasses.

Etymology and terminology

The term Malassada comes from Portuguese words "mal" and "assado" meaning "bad" and "roasted", referring to their unstructured shape.

Malassadas are often called "Hawaiian donuts" because of their popularity and cultural presence in the Hawaiian islands.

The name is often used interchangeably with . However, according to the Direção-Geral de Agricultura e Desenvolvimento Rural (DGARD), these two regional pastries are distinct―the Azorean is made during , while the of Penedono is made with brandy and olive oil instead of milk and is enjoyed year-round. Another similar pastry from the Central Region is .

History

The is believed to be derived from the from mainland Portugal and Madeira, a product of the growing sugar industry during the sixteenth century. It was exported throughout Macaronesia, where it was introduced to the Azores and Canary Islands, reaching as far as Brazil during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.

were first described in the in 1609, and recorded in the ledgers of the in Lisbon between 1688 and 1762. The describes the mal-assada () referring to the "undercooked" dough inside. However, another version asserts it was previously made using (), having been named or .

Historically, were conventual sweets prepared for Terça-feira Gorda () with the intention of using all the lard and sugar in one's home before Ash Wednesday, the start of the Lenten Season which limits the use of fats and sugars as a form of fasting and penance, similar to other traditions like Pancake Day. It is a traditional confection eaten in the Azores and Madeira during .

By region

Hawaii

During Hawaii's plantation era in the 1870s, plantations would import laborers from China, Japan, Philippines, Korea, and Portugal to work for them. Portuguese laborers from Madeira and the Azores started to immigrate to Hawaii to work on the plantations. They brought with them their traditional foods, including fried doughnuts they called ― now commonly spelled as malasadas. From there, malassadas started to gain popularity in Hawaii. These doughnuts are more closely related to the bola de berlim, a fried doughnut widely served on the beaches in Portugal. In the past, Catholic Portuguese immigrants shared it with friends of other ethnicities in the plantation camps.

Today, there are numerous bakeries in the Hawaiian Islands specializing in where it is made around the year. Some notable bakeries being Kamehameha Bakery, Leonard's Bakery, Liliha Bakery, and Pipeline Bakeshop + Creamery. Like Portuguese bolas de berlim, these doughnuts are made both with and without cream fillings. In Hawaii, they are sometimes filled with the traditional Portuguese custard cream, but there are also local cream varieties flavored with coconut, chocolate, lilikoi (passion fruit), guava, mango, ube, or pineapple.

Leonard's bakery is one of the most popular spots to get malassadas. The bakery was opened in 1952 by Leonard DoRego. His grandparents, Arsenio and Amelia DoRego immigrated from San Miguel Island, Portugal to Maui, Hawai'i to work on the plantations. Leonard DoRego, their grandson was born 33 years later, and after marrying his wife Margaret, he moved to Honolulu, Hawai'i. He worked at Snowflake Bakery until he later founded Leonard's Bakery in 1952.

The current owner of the bakery is Lenny Rego III, the grandson of Leonard and Margaret Rego. In Hawaii, Fat Tuesday (Mardi Gras) or Shrove Tuesday taking place before Ash Wednesday and Lent is known as "Malasada Day". On this day, people celebrate the last day of eating richer and fatty foods by indulging in desserts. In Hawaii, it is especially popular to celebrate by eating malassadas, causing bakeries to have special hours and extra hands on deck on these days.

Malassadas play a large part in Hawaii's fundraising landscape, as a very popular treat for schools, sports teams, and non-profits to raise money. For example, the Punahou Carnival, hosted by Punahou School, is a well known fundraising event providing rides, food, and games. Being one of the event's biggest money makers, malassadas are a large part of the carnival, bringing students and faculty together to prepare huge batches in preparation.

North America

In the United States, are cooked in many Portuguese homes on Fat Tuesday. It is a tradition where the older children take the warm doughnuts and roll them in sugar while the eldest woman– mother or grandmother– cooks them.

On the East Coast, in Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts, there is a high population of Portuguese-Americans. Festivals in cities such as New Bedford and Fall River will often serve Portuguese cuisine, including .

References

(2010) Patrick Andrews - "Pioneering the Malasada" Queensland, Australia. 2010