 Malassadas being made inRhode Island by the United Brotherhood of the Holy Spirit | |
| Alternative names | Filhós,malasada |
|---|---|
| Type | Fried dough |
| Place of origin | Portugal |
| Region or state | São Miguel, Azores |
| Main ingredients | Wheat flour,sugar,eggs,milk,yeast |
| Ingredients generally used | Cinnamon,molasses |
| Similar dishes | Bola de Berlim,farturas,filhós,sonho,fried dough, cascoréis da Guarda |
Malassada is aPortuguese fried pastry from theAzores. It is a type ofdoughnut, made of flattened rounds ofyeasted dough, coated with sugar and cinnamon or accompanied with molasses.[1]
The namemalassada is often used interchangeably withfilhós.[2] However, according to theDireção-Geral de Agricultura e Desenvolvimento Rural (DGARD),[a] these two regional pastries are distinct―the Azoreanmalassada is made duringCarnaval,[1] while thefilhós ofPenedono is made withbrandy and olive oil instead of milk and is enjoyed year-round.[3] Another similar pastry from theCentral Region isCascoréis da Guarda.[4]
Themalassada is believed to be derived from thefilhós from mainland Portugal andMadeira, a product of the growing sugar industry during the sixteenth century.[5] It was exported throughoutMacaronesia, where it was introduced to theAzores andCanary Islands, reaching as far asBrazil during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.[6]
Malassadas were first described in theDicionário Houaiss da Língua Portuguesa in 1609, and recorded in theledgers of theConvento da Encarnação inLisbon between 1688 and 1762.[7]TheGastronomia Tradicional da Madeira e do Porto Santo describes themal-assada (lit. 'badly-baked') referring to the "undercooked" dough inside.[8] However, another version asserts it was previously made usingmel (Portuguese:molasses), having been namedmelassadas ormelaçadas.[1]
Historically,malassadas wereconventual sweets prepared forTerça-feira Gorda (lit. 'Fat Tuesday') with the intention of using all the lard and sugar in one's home beforeAsh Wednesday, the start of theLenten Season which limits the use of fats and sugars as a form offasting andpenance, similar to other traditions likePancake Day.[9] It is a traditional confection eaten in theAzores andMadeira duringCarnaval.[7]
In 1878,Portuguese laborers fromMadeira and theAzores started to immigrate to Hawaii to work on theplantations.[7] They brought with them their traditional foods, including fried doughnuts they calledmalassadas― now commonly spelled asmalasadas. These doughnuts are more closely related to thebola de berlim, a fried doughnut widely served on the beaches in Portugal.[10] In the past, Catholic Portuguese immigrants shared it with friends of other ethnicities in the plantation camps.[11]
Today, there are numerous bakeries in the Hawaiian Islands specializing inmalassadas where it is made around the year.[12] Like Portuguesebolas de berlim, these doughnuts are made both with and without cream fillings. In Hawaii, they are sometimes filled with the traditional Portuguesecustard cream, but there are also local cream varieties flavored with coconut, chocolate, lilikoi (passion fruit), guava, mango, ube, or pineapple.[13] In Hawaii,Fat Tuesday (Mardi Gras) is known as "Malasada Day".[11]
In the United States,malassadas 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, inRhode Island andSoutheastern Massachusetts, there is a high population of Portuguese-Americans. Festivals in cities such asNew Bedford andFall River will often serve Portuguese cuisine, includingmalassadas.[14]
(2010) Patrick Andrews - "Pioneering the Malasada" Queensland, Australia. 2010
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