Several weeks ago, while in the deli section of my local Shop-Rite, I saw something new. They were called Hawaiian sweet rolls, from the King's Hawaiian company. Looking back, I can't recall discussing any bits of Hawaiian cuisine, so I picked up a pack. They were also the company's "original" Hawaiian sweet rolls.
King's Hawaiian is a moderately old business. Back in 1950, a man named Robert R. Taira opened "Robert's Bakery" in the Hawaiian town of Hilo. His baked goods were an immediate hit, and he began to grow the business. In 1963 Taira moved production to King Street in Honolulu, and so he renamed his company "King's Bakery." In 1977 Taira expanded into the mainland part of the U.S., as he started a manufacturing center in Torrance, California. The business was then renamed yet again, to King's Hawaiian Bakery. In 1992 all production ceased in Hawaii. Then the company moved east--by 2011 a factory was begun in Oakwood, Georgia. King's Hawaiian selection has also expanded over the decades. Their rolls include some more offbeat types, such as pretzel rolls, and jalapeno rolls. The company also markets cookies, holiday fruit cakes, bread pudding and coffee, teas, butters, jellies, mustards, and hot sauces. Sadly, Robert Taira is no longer with us, as he passed in 2003. His creation remains in his family's hands, however.
The flagship product of King's Hawaiian remains the type I tried, their original sweet roll. These are a kind of Portuguese sweet bread. But it's more convoluted than that, as the Portuguese settlers in the Azores islands then came up with their own take on Portuguese sweet bread, called Massa Sovada ("kneaded dough"), which is a roll often served on holidays. Azorean immigrants to Hawaii continued to make their signature Portuguese sweet bread rolls. There's just one issue. Portuguese sweet bread is known for its very brief fresh period. In fact, the Azorean kind in Hawaii was known as "stone bread," since it becomes hard as a rock if not eaten within a day. Somehow, and it's presumably a trade secret, Robert Taira was able to make Portuguese/Azorean sweet rolls that had an extended freshness life span. And, while Robert Taira was born in Hawaii, his heritage is Japanese. So, all in all, the rolls I got are a mix of Portuguese, Azorean, Japanese, Hawaiian, and American cultural influences.
King's Hawaiian original Hawaiian sweet rolls: These looked like regular small rolls--a yellow interior, and brownish top and bottom. They were square, about 5 cm./2.25 inches to a side. I had some plain at first. They were good rolls, soft and fluffy, with a noticeably sweet flavor to them. Or quite tasty. I then tried some with a tangerine spread, and then as a sandwich with capicola and ranch dressing. Both these sweet and savory complements were also very good. So overall I enjoyed these, and would recommend them.
As a fan of the Philadelphia Phillies major league baseball team, I was pleased to learn that a former member of the team, Shane Victorino, was a spokesman for King's Hawaiian in 2014. It's a natural choice--Victorino was also born in Hawaii, and like Robert Taira also has some Japanese heritage. (Shane's ancestry also includes Portuguese and Hawaiian.) For his career, which stretched from 2003-15, Victorino slashed .275/.340/.425, with an adjusted OPS of 102+. He also was named to 2 All Star teams, won 4 Gold Gloves as an outfielder, and was part of both the Phillies' 2008 World Series winning team, and the Boston Red Sox's world series winner in 2013. "The Flyin' Hawaiian," as he was known, accumulated 31.5 WAR for his career. Additionally, King's Hawaiian produced and released an animated children's Halloween-themed movie, called, "The Legend of Hallowaiian" in 2018. Voice actors included Mark Hamill, Vanessa Williams, Tia Carrera, and Noah Schnapp. If you're curious, its Rotten Tomatoes score is blank for critics, and 36% (out of 100%) from the general audience. IMDB has it as a 5.1 out of 10.
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