What Makes Hawaii's Chocolate Haupia Pie A Unique And Beloved Local Dish?

Every region has its own dessert specialty, whether it's Indiana's iconic sugar cream pie or New Orleans' abiding legacy of beignets. In Hawaii, one such cherished dish is haupia, a traditional confection found in many desserts across the islands, especially in the form of chocolate haupia pie, as popularized by Oahu institution Ted's Bakery. 

Haupia is a rich coconut pudding with a consistency so thick, it's almost gelatinous — think Jell-O rather than custard. Where chocolate haupia pie takes things up a level is by combining half the haupia mixture with melted chocolate to form a dense, custard-like layer of chocolate pudding which is then topped by more haupia, and finally with a layer of whipped cream and grated chocolate. 

Haupia was originally thickened with arrowroot — in fact, "haupia" is a compound word meaning "cool arrowroot," but is often made with cornstarch mixed with milk or water these days. The pie is then refrigerated before serving cold, so the pie requires no baking outside of the crust itself. This is how Ted's Bakery does it, and the delicious result is why Ted's has become synonymous with chocolate haupia pie since its founding in 1987.

Ted's Bakery has been a staple on North Shore, Oahu since the late 1980s, and its success can be attributed, in large part, to an impulse decision regarding leftovers in the early 1990s. In an interview with the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, the eponymous Ted Nakamura said, "It was like a mistake. About a year ago, I was making a haupia cake[,] and some others were making a chocolate pie. I took the leftover haupia and chocolate and made a pie. Everyone said it was really good[,] so we started selling it. Now[,] half the orders we get [are] for chocolate haupia."

Word of mouth and media publicity brought success and orders by the dozens to Ted and his brother Glenn's establishment, which allowed them to expand into selling pies wholesale while the brick-and-mortar store became a must-hit destination for locals and tourists alike. Now, Ted's Bakery has discontinued its wholesale operation, but it remains as cherished an institution as ever. While its menu boasts savory as well as sweet foods, the sign on the front shows where its real legacy lies: "Home of the original chocolate Haupia pie." 

For those who are less inclined to bite into a big slice of chocolate pudding, Ted also serves variations such as pumpkin Haupia pie and even a seasonal pumpkin Haupia chiffon cake. Purple sweet potato Haupia pie is another common chocolate alternative.