For a dish so steeped in tradition, it’s only fitting that Leonards’ Bakery has the requisite history. Leonard DoRego and his wife founded Leonard’s Bakery in 1946 after moving to Honolulu from the island of Maui. Leonard’s parents were originally from San Miguel Island in Portugal when they boarded the British sailing ship the “Monarch” in June of 1882 to work in the sugarcane fields. Portuguese immigrants began building fornos or stone bread ovens to make various breaded treats when Leonard’s mother suggested making malasadas for Shrove Tuesday—a Portuguese tradition. Suffice to say, she had a couturier’s touch to confectionery. More than a hundred years later, Leonard’s malasadas are still Hawai`i’s signature fare. The local sweet treat—deep-fried and covered in sugar ends in a long lingering finish, perfect for relishing each and every morsel.
