Choice Morsel: International Doughnut Series, Part 8

Crispy, fried doughnuts on a stick. Yes, please.

I might never have considered karioka to be doughnuts had I not first discovered them in a small doughnut case at Uwajimaya several years ago. That case is long gone, but I finally found them again at Delite Bakery, a Filipino bakery on Beacon Hill that carries such an array of unusual treats it’s taking me multiple visits to eat my way through. Part of that reason, no doubt, is that whenever I visit I always come home with some karioka.

Karioka are golf ball-sized doughnuts made from glutinous rice flour and coconut. They are deep-fried, covered in a sugary glaze and strung onto a skewer in groups of four. At once, crunchy, chewy and sticky, of all the doughnuts I’ve ever eaten, karioka are easily the most fun.

Karioka are the final installment in our eight-part series on Seattle’s international doughnut scene. If you’re just joining us, why not sample some of the other doughnuts we’ve discovered:

• French beignets
• Polish paczki
• Portuguese malasadas
• Chinese saa jung
• Greek loukoumades
• Italian zeppole
• Spanish churros

Did we miss your favorite? Let us know in the comments section below.  And stay tuned for the next series of delectable discoveries from Choice Morsel on the CAB.

Photograph by Van Schilperoort