‘Fat Tuesday’ Bread Bake on Feb. 28

Photo courtesy of Kona Historical Society.

Kona Historical Society invites the public for a special bake event on Tuesday, Feb. 28 featuring its Portuguese cinnamon bread in celebration of Shrove Tuesday, also known as “Fat Tuesday.”  

The bake will take place at KHS’s stone oven in the pasture below the main office and general store museum in Kealakekua from 10 a.m. – noon.

Volunteers and staff will be making the sticky, sweet bread while giving visitors a taste of the history and traditional art behind the treat, a contribution of the Portuguese who arrived in Hawaiʻi in the 1880s.

According to KHS, many immigrants from Portugal worked on the local sugar plantations, but some found their way to Kona where they helped develop the local dairy industry.

Cinnamon bread loaves will be available for purchase for $8 beginning at 12:30 p.m. on a first come, first served basis up until 4 p.m., or until sold out. Proceeds from the bake off will support KHS in its effort to preserve and share Kona’s history and cultural heritage with both Island visitors and residents.

KHS also offers a free, weekly Portuguese bread baking program  every Thursday. Volunteers and staff bake up to 100 loaves of white, wheat and sweet bread and the public is invited to help roll the dough.

KHS celebrates Shrove Tuesday as a throwback to the sugar plantation days of the 1800s when Catholic Portuguese ate richer, fatty foods and desserts before the 40-day Lent season, which involves ritual fasting. Among the celebratory desserts were malasadas, a donut-like pastry and Hawaiʻi favorite.

For more information, contact Kona Historical Society at (808) 323 – 3222, or visit www.konahistorical.org.