There's been a sort of resurgence and renewed interest in poi from the younger generation (this is a really good thing), and I love seeing poi in so many desserts now. The fried batches that come out are reminiscent of flowers or teething rings in shape, and the individual spheres that make up the donut are easy to tug apart and enjoy like a donut hole. twitter. Emily’s Japanese-American heritage definitely plays into flavors like black sesame, red bean, and all things yuzu,” McGillivray explained. Whether you’re in Hawaii, New York City, Las Vegas, or Los Angeles, the mochi donut is only gaining more traction, rivaling the popularity of old-fashioneds and classic glazed yeast donuts everywhere. These types of donuts are usually made with tapioca flour and are notoriously difficult to work with by hand due to the yeasted dough’s extremely sticky nature, which is why places like Mister Donut and Liliha opt for specialized machinery that can squeeze the dough out into its traditional shape straight into hot oil. Then, the donuts sold out within 15 minutes. The feedback she received was so encouraging that she decided to bring her creation to her bakery. facebook. Poi is important in Hawaii...as are poi doughnuts! pinterest. But now doing it in a familiar but new way is exciting!” The mochi donut, a mix of both Eastern and Western cultures, aligns with Third Culture’s mission of celebrating both Shyu and Butarbutar’s third culture kid identities. “The popularity is due to several factors,” Daniel Furumura, the co-owner of MoDo, explained before listing them off: “1. Ingredients. He, alongside his partner Emily Mikiko Strocher, decided to go all-in on their small donut business. “We hope that the bakery becomes a symbol of diversity, inclusiveness, and acceptance,” reads Third Culture Bakery’s website. A mochi donut from MoDo Hawaii is dipped in a black sesame glaze. At both Modo and Liliha, the donuts follow the “pon de ring” type of recipe. Photo: The Sweet Boutique Bakery; Illustration: Grace Han/Thrillist. 5. At the legendary Liliha Bakery located in Honolulu, Hawaii, poi mochi donuts -- made from taro root -- are served alongside the bakery’s iconic coco puffs and malasadas. “Mochi isn't something new -- we've both grown up with it all our lives. Liliha isn’t the only bakery capitalizing on the heightened popularity of mochi donuts. Taking one square at a time, spoon 1/2 teaspoon of taro paste in the middle of moch square. “Like anything else that is good, people catch on,” Angela Choi, the marketing director for The Yummy Group, explained. However, not all mochi donuts replicate Mister Donut’s famous “pon de ring.” In Portland, Oregon, Mikiko Mochi Donuts more closely resemble Hawaiian-style butter mochi, which is baked rather than fried, uses glutinous rice flour as opposed to tapioca flour, and is more comparable to a gooey, denser butter cake. Get Liliha Bakery's kinda new, but already one classic Poi Mochi Donut (and also get lotta places that sell mochi donuts sans da poi too), get Kamehameha Bakery's so pretty and delicious Poi Glaze Donuts (which isn't billed as having mochi inside), an'den also get Uncle Lani's fried Poi Mochi (which is just poi and mochi). “Mochi donuts offer a new and exciting take on the standard donut and the fact that they are gluten-free makes it so much more appealing.” If you’ve yet to try mochi donuts, whether as the airy and fried pon de ring or the denser baked butter mochi, options are springing up all across the country. Over at Third Culture Bakery, a bake house with locations in both Aurora, Colorado and Berkeley, California, the mochi donuts are also shaped in classic donut rings and baked, rather than fried, with inspiration drawn from familial recipes.