Many who have visited are familiar with the “melting pot” that is Hawaii–a base of Native Hawaiians, a sprinkle of Japanese, a dash of Chinese, a pinch of Filipinos. But little is known about the field laborers that came from the Madeira Islands and the Azores off the coast of northwest Africa, the Portuguese. Even as a former resident of the Hawaiian Islands for almost three decades, they were still a relative mystery to me.
Possessing the gift of gab, the “Portagees” (as they are called in Hawaiian pidgin English) are the butt of many jokes (mostly about the lack of smarts); they can be best likened to “Polacks” on the Mainland US. To be described as portagee for someone not of Portuguese ancestry meant that the individual had verbal diarrhea (and in some instances, a person a few fries short of a Happy Meal). It was rumored though that what Portuguese men lacked in brains were well made up in other parts.
The four most tangible Portuguese contributions to the ethnic stew of paradise revolve around music and food. The roots of the pint-size Ukulele have their origins in the Portuguese islands.
Malasadas, Portuguese fried doughnuts, are an edible must-try tourist attraction while visiting the Islands.
After SPAM, the next most popular protein accompaniment to rice and eggs for breakfast is Portuguese Sausage.
Pao Doce, Portuguese sweet bread, more widely-known as Hawaiian sweet bread, has swept across America like wildfire.
