P
Hawaiian
Poi Doughnuts — Modern Hawaiian
Poi doughnuts are a modern Hawaiian creation: the traditional poi (fermented taro paste) is incorporated into a yeasted doughnut dough, producing a purple-tinged, slightly tangy, tender doughnut. The poi adds moisture and a subtle taro flavour. Kamehameha Bakeryʻs poi glazed doughnut is the benchmark. This is the modern Hawaiian approach: take the most ancient ingredient (taro/poi) and put it in a modern format (doughnut).
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I
The Market List
The benchmark for each ingredient, and who stocks it near you. Tap a stockist to go straight to the product.
500 g
plain flour
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
7 g
instant dried yeast
Your own market
60 g
caster sugar
Your own market
5 g
fine salt
Your own market
200 g
poi
fresh fermented taro paste; not over-sour
Origin · United StatesNot yet stocked in British Columbia
2
eggs
Your own market
120 ml
whole milk
warmed
Your own market
60 g
unsalted butter
softened
Your own market
For frying
2 l
neutral oil
such as canola; sufficient depth for submersion
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
For the glaze
200 g
icing sugar
sifted
Your own market
60 ml
whole milk
Your own market
II
The Method
1
Combine flour, yeast, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add the eggs, warmed milk, and poi. Mix until a shaggy dough forms, then incorporate the softened butter. Knead until the dough is smooth and elastic and pulls cleanly from the bowl wall.
2
Cover the dough and leave it to prove at room temperature until doubled in volume. The dough should hold a fingertip impression without springing back fully.
3
Turn the proved dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll to approximately 2 cm thickness. Cut rounds with a doughnut cutter. Transfer to a lined tray and leave to prove a second time until visibly puffed and the surface appears matte rather than tight.
4
Heat the oil to 175 °C. Fry the doughnuts in batches, turning once, until each side is deep golden and the doughnut floats high in the oil — this is where the dish lives or dies: underfrying leaves the interior gummy and the poi flavour raw, while overfrying destroys the moisture the poi is there to provide.
5
Lift the doughnuts from the oil and drain briefly on a rack. While still warm, whisk icing sugar and milk to a fluid glaze and dip the top of each doughnut. The glaze should set to a faintly opaque finish with a gentle sheen.
III
Quality Hierarchy
01
Reserve — Poi made in-house from freshly steamed Hawaiian taro (kalo), fermented to a mild, just-sour stage; dough fried to order.
02
Estate — Fresh poi sourced from a local Hawaiian taro producer, used within one to two days of fermentation; doughnuts glazed immediately before service.
03
Market — Commercially packaged fresh poi, within its stated freshness window; a reliable neutral-oil fry and standard icing-sugar glaze.
04
House — Shelf-stable or frozen poi thawed and used directly; acceptable tang but reduced taro character and a slightly denser crumb.
IV
Sensory Tests
◇Sight. The doughnut is purple-tinged throughout, with a deep golden exterior and a glaze that sets opaque.
◇Smell. Warm fried dough with an undercurrent of taro earthiness; no raw-yeast or acrid-fat note.
◇Touch. The crumb yields tenderly under pressure, moist from the poi, with no gumminess at the centre.
◇Where it lives or dies. The poi must be fresh enough to add flavour and tang but not so fermented that it dominates the dough.
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VI
What to Pour
The pairing
Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Buffalo Trace Distillery · Kentucky Bourbon Country
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
Whisky
From British Columbia
Nothing from British Columbia holds against this yet.
Without alcohol
No pour without alcohol holds against this yet.
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The whole pairingPillar VII
Origin and lineage are part of membership.
Where the dish comes from and how it came to be — on every recipe.
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