This 1950 Honolulu Bakery Serves One Of Hawaii's Most Iconic Treats

As it's been around since 1950, Liliha Bakery in Honolulu, Hawaii has had plenty of time to develop its beloved recipes. Boasting over 150 different baked goods, customers particularly adore the island institution for its Chantilly cake, coco puffs, and malasadas (Portuguese donuts). But one eye-catching sweet found here is particularly iconic in Hawaii: The poi mochi donuts.

Although the bakery has been operating for just over 75 years, the donuts are a more recent addition, introduced in 2016. They come in a ring of spheres, the classic mochi donut shape. While they have a light brown exterior, pulling the donut apart reveals a lilac purple interior, which comes from the poi, or taro. Like regular donuts, mochi donuts come in many different flavors, but Liliha's version comes drizzled in a glossy icing, which contrasts with the poi's earthiness. Unlike fluffy yeast donuts, these have a signature dense chewiness that comes from the mochi flour.

On Tripadvisor, one happy customer shared, "Those poi mochi donuts are so good that you can't stop eating. We were totally hooked." TikTok creator @leekaboy rated the treat a 10/10 and said that while the bakery's other options are delicious, "This is my favorite thing from Liliha."

Two of this donut's ingredients — poi and mochi — also represent two facets of Hawaiian culture. Poi is made from the root vegetable taro, which is somewhat similar to a sweet potato but purple and earthier. Taro is a staple food in native Hawaiian cuisine (where it's referred to as "kalo"), and to make poi, the root is cooked and pounded into a smooth, starchy paste.

Hawaii also has a long history of Japanese immigration, and mochi's arrival on the islands is a result of that. Mochi is a white rice flour that comes from Japanese cuisine and provides a chewy texture and natural sweetness when used in baked goods. And yes, it's also used to create the exterior of those beloved mochi ice cream balls. The very first poi mochi donut was created in 1992 in a garage in Hawaii, sold in a donut-hole shape. The sphere-ring that Liliha Bakery uses was popularized by the Japanese mochi donut chain Mister Donut.

So, if you're on a mission to visit the best bakery in every state, Liliha Bakery should be on your Hawaii bucket list. It's not just a grab-and-go donut counter, but a full-service bakery and coffee shop that also serves up Hawaiian cafe classics like loco moco, mahi mahi with eggs, and macadamia nut waffles. Today, Liliha Bakery operates six locations across Oahu.