Haupia is a

traditional A tradition is a belief or behavior (folk custom) passed down within a group or society with symbolic meaning or special significance with origins in the past. A component of cultural expressions and folklore, common examples include holidays or ...

coconut milk Coconut milk is an opaque, milky-white liquid extracted from the grated pulp of mature coconuts. The opacity and rich taste of coconut milk are due to its high oil content, most of which is saturated fat. Coconut milk is a traditional food i ...

-based Hawaiian dessert often found at luaus and other local gatherings in

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...

. Since the 1940s, it has become popular as a topping for white

cake Cake is a flour confection made from flour, sugar, and other ingredients, and is usually baked. In their oldest forms, cakes were modifications of bread, but cakes now cover a wide range of preparations that can be simple or elaborate, ...

, especially at

wedding A wedding is a ceremony where two people are united in marriage. Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnic groups, religions, countries, and social classes. Most wedding ceremonies involve an exchange of marriage vo ...

s. Although technically considered a

pudding Pudding is a type of food. It can be either a dessert or a savoury (salty or spicy) dish served as part of the main meal. In the United States, ''pudding'' means a sweet, milk-based dessert similar in consistency to egg-based custards, ins ...

, the consistency of haupia closely approximates

gelatin dessert Gelatin desserts (also Jelly or Jello) are desserts made with a sweetened and flavoured processed collagen product ( gelatin). This kind of dessert was first recorded as jelly by Hannah Glasse in her 18th-century book '' The Art of Cookery'' ...

, and it is usually served in blocks like gelatin. It is also served in local ice cream parlors as Haupia Ice Cream.

History

The traditional Hawaiian recipe for haupia calls for heated coconut milk to be mixed with ground ''pia'' (Polynesian arrowroot, ''

Tacca leontopetaloides ''Tacca leontopetaloides'' is a species of flowering plant in the yam family Dioscoreaceae. It is native to Island Southeast Asia but have been introduced as canoe plants throughout the Indo-Pacific tropics by Austronesian peoples during prehis ...

'') until the mixture thickens. Due to the lack of availability of arrowroot starch, some modern recipes for haupia substitute

cornstarch Corn starch, maize starch, or cornflour (British English) is the starch derived from corn (maize) grain. The starch is obtained from the endosperm of the kernel. Corn starch is a common food ingredient, often used to thicken sauces or soups, ...

. Haupia is very similar to the

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

an dessert

blancmange Blancmange (, from french: blanc-manger ) is a sweet dessert popular throughout Europe commonly made with milk or cream and sugar thickened with rice flour, gelatin, corn starch, or Irish moss (a source of carrageenan), and often flavoured ...

. In the typical modern recipe, diluted coconut milk, sugar, and salt are mixed with arrowroot or cornstarch and heated until thickened and smooth, then poured into a rectangular pan and chilled with gelatin. It is traditionally cut into small blocks and served on squares of ti leaf or plain. A popular variation is haupia pie, where the haupia is set in a crust as one layer, then usually accompanied by another layer of either chocolate or purple sweet potato. Some coconut dessert recipes call for unflavored gelatin in place of the cornstarch, but it would be erroneous to call them haupia. Many local confections that contain

coconut The coconut tree (''Cocos nucifera'') is a member of the palm tree family ( Arecaceae) and the only living species of the genus ''Cocos''. The term "coconut" (or the archaic "cocoanut") can refer to the whole coconut palm, the seed, or the ...

or coconut flavoring are advertised as haupia flavored. Currently, McDonald's across Hawaii sell "Haupia Pies," similar to their better-known apple pies.

References

* .

Notes

External links

Kau Kau Kitchen column on Haupiatraditional Hawaiian haupia
recipe. {{Portal, Food Puddings Hawaiian cuisine Hawaiian desserts Foods containing coconut

History

See also

References

Notes

External links