Local Hawaiian sweets from all over the place!

Ai Jinguji

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After leaving a publishing company as a writer and coordinator, she went independent and moved to Maui in 2001. She currently promotes the charms of the neighboring islands, mainly in Maui County, through magazines, books, and the web. She is the author of "Hawaiian Living: Purifying Your Mind and Body" and other publications. She is currently writing a serial column for the Hawaii Tourism Board website.

Not just Instagram-worthy! Classic local sweets from Hawaii, home to a diverse food culture

Many people feel a sense of familiarity when they travel to Hawaii, thinking, "It feels a bit like Japan," and are curious about Aloha Soy Sauce, or how soy sauce is made in Hawaii? In the early 19th century, when the state of Hawaii was still the Kingdom of Hawaii, one of the policies implemented to develop the country's economy was the sugarcane industry. There were not enough workers in the Kingdom of Hawaii to work in the sugarcane fields, so people traveled across borders to Hawaii from Japan, China, Portugal, the Philippines, and other countries to work there.

While working in the fields, they were able to exchange food cultures even though they did not speak the same language, and this unique food culture that blends different cultures continues to this day. In this article, we will introduce some popular local sweets that you can easily enjoy in Hawaii!

Malasadas are a local Portuguese sweet that are perfect as souvenirs.

Portugal was a European maritime nation that interacted with many countries at the time and has left behind a food culture. Japan's castella cake is a good example. In Hawaii, the Portuguese sweet "malasada" is widely loved. It is basically yeast-fermented dough that is deep-fried and then coated with sugar. It is a Portuguese home-cooked dish that looks like fried bread, and when you bite into it hot, the inside is fluffy and the outside has a subtle mix of sugary sweetness and oil, making it a sweet treat that will make your mouth happy. Locals visit bakeries where they can buy freshly fried malasadas, and buy them by the box for breakfast with coffee, an afternoon snack, or as a souvenir after work.

First, try the malasadas from each island, such as "Leonard's" on Oahu, "Homemade Bakery" on Maui, and "Tex" on the Big Island of Hawaii! The simple malasadas vary in size and texture, and can be filled with cream such as custard, coconut, or chocolate, or with side dishes such as ham or cheese, or with flavors such as guava or taro kneaded into the dough itself, or even croissants that aim to be a cross between a croissant and a malasada. The appeal of malasadas is endless.

Queues are a must. Sweets with a connection to Japan that are loved by locals: Shaved ice, mochi, and manju

Shaved ice is a summer staple, and in Hawaii, where summer is perpetual, shaved ice is available all year round. Shaved ice, introduced by Japanese immigrants, is called "shave ice," and many locals go there after the beach, sports, or on their way home from school or work. Among the many shave ice shops, the most popular are those run by Japanese owners who use traditional shaved ice machines to make the shaved ice.

It's surprising how many types of syrup there are compared to Japanese shaved ice, and how colorful they are, but they're the perfect way to beat the heat. From long-established shops like "Waiola Shave Ice" and "Matsumoto Shave Ice" on Oahu to "Ululani Shave Ice" on Maui, which makes its own syrup using 100% fruit and the sweetness of sugar cane, queues are a common sight.

Mochi and manju are also popular sweets brought over by Japanese immigrants. However, unlike Japanese mochi, mochi is made from mochi flour, is colorful, and is Hawaiian-style, with coconut paste and peanut butter in addition to bean paste. And manju is often baked.
Locals visit bakeries such as Nisshodo on Oahu, Sam Sato Manju on Maui, and Two Sisters Bakery on the Big Island for everyday snacks, as well as for special occasions such as weddings, funerals, and to celebrate their children's growth.

There are a wide variety of sweets from the Philippines, including bibingka, halo-halo, and suman!

Philippine food is a sure thing to see at morning markets and food stalls in Hawaii. Hawaii has long been home to many immigrants from the Philippines who work in the tourism industry, such as hotels, so Filipino shops are not uncommon. There is a particularly wide variety of sweets, many of which are made with glutinous rice, mochi flour, and coconut milk, making them popular with a wide range of generations of locals who love rice and coconut.

A look at the sales floor reveals an array of simple, sweet desserts, including bibingka, butter-flavored mochi wrapped in banana leaves and baked, cascaron, deep-fried dumplings made from mochi flour and coconut milk, steamed suman, glutinous rice and coconut milk wrapped in banana leaves, steamed bread made from mochi flour, and deep-fried spring rolls with bananas.

And the most popular dish is halo-halo. Shaved ice is topped with purple sweet potato or coconut ice cream, nata de coco, jelly, beans, corn, lychee and other fruits, and poured over with milk, making it look quite showy! Halo-halo means to mix, so it is recommended to mix it before eating. It seems like you can get a taste of the Philippines in Hawaii without having to go to the Philippines.

Indispensable Chinese and Western culture, everything with a Hawaiian twist!

The period from Christmas to the New Year is a good opportunity to learn about Hawaii's immigrant culture. After a grand Christmas celebration, there are firecrackers and bells tolling on New Year's Eve, barbecues and beer parties on New Year's Day, eating ozoni, and the Lunar New Year, also known as Chinese New Year, so it feels like a celebration of all the celebrations of each country. Chinese New Year is marked by the popular lion dance, and mooncakes are an essential part of it. Not only are there authentic egg-filled mooncakes in Chinatown on Oahu, but bakeries on each island also sell mooncakes made by manju.

Apart from seasonal sweets, there is a rice cake made from mochi flour, which is like a firm jelly, and lihi mui, the pinnacle of Chinese culture, which is known for its dried sweets, and which no local Hawaiian would not eat. Lihi mui is a dried plum snack, and although it can be eaten as is, it is surprising how often lihi mui powder is sprinkled on it. Lihi mui may be used more frequently in Hawaii than in China, with fruits such as pineapples and oranges being cut up and sprinkled with lihi mui, sprinkled on shaved ice or drinks, pickled in pickles, and even sprinkled on the aforementioned malasadas.

Hawaiian sweets are good at incorporating other countries' cultures in this way, and Western sweets such as pies, as well as native Hawaiian pies such as banana cream pie, coconut pudding called haupia, purple yam pie, and mango and passion fruit pies, are loved by locals and tourists alike.

Photo courtesy of Pomai & The Fashonably-Forward Foodie & BIngbing

*Some content was updated on July 22, 2019.