A subset of fried dough found in Hawaii and along the coast of New England from Cape Cod to Rhode Island, wherever Portuguese immigrants settled, the malasada (sometimes spelled malassada) is an anytime snack or a breakfast pastry. It is made either as a sphere, like a holeless donut, or stretched out flat like a pancake, cooked in hot oil until golden brown, then dusted with powdered sugar and served, preferably while still warm. Malasadas are available year-round in bakeries and at fairs and carnivals that sell eat-on-the-stroll indulgences, but as home-cooked food, they most often are found in observant Catholic kitchens at Mardi Gras time. The point of making them before Lent is to use up all the lard and sugar on hand. In Hawaii, Fat Tuesday is known as Malasada Day.
Malasadas, the Portuguese version of fried dough, are made by bakeries in southern New England and in Hawaii.