A malasada, sometimes called "Portuguese fried dough," is a Portuguese confection. It is a fried type of doughnut, made of flattened rounds of yeast dough, flavoured with lemon zest and coated with granulated sugar and cinnamon. The traditional Portuguese malasadas do not contain holes or any type of filling, but some variations do, especially the ones made in Hawaii. Some cream fillings include coconut, passion fruit, guava, pineapple and custard. Malasadas are often eaten on Mardi Gras - the day before Ash Wednesday.
In Madeira, malasadas are mainly eaten on Terça-feira Gorda ("Fat Tuesday" in English; Mardi Gras in French) which is also the day before Lent begins. It is a traditional confection eaten in the Azores islands and in Madeira during the Portuguese Carnival (Carnival of Madeira in the Madeira Islands). Malasadas were created with the intention of using all the lard and sugar in one's home, in preparation for Lent (similar to the tradition of the Shrove Tuesday in the United Kingdom, commonly incorrectly called Pancake Day). This tradition was taken to Hawaii, where they celebrate Shrove Tuesday, known as Malasada Day, which dates back to the days of the sugarcane plantations of the 19th century when the Portuguese (mostly from Madeira and the Azores) went to Hawaii to work in those plantations, bringing their Catholic traditions. These workers used up butter and sugar prior to Lent by making large batches of malasadas. In some of the Portuguese islands, such as S. Miguel, Malasadas can also be eaten after dipping them in molasses. Malasadas are known by other names (for example, Filhoses and Farturas) depending on the region and island.