Donuts are an international dessert with a lot of history. Perfect roasting to a golden brown is a special highlight of this treat, which easily adapts to various fillings. American culture appreciated this delicacy. Statistics show that more than 35% of Americans eat donuts at least once a month. Given this fact, you will definitely be interested to know the history of the donut and how it became so popular.
Who invented the donuts?
Most cultures in the world have something similar to donuts, a fried dough dish. They became popular around the same time, so it’s hard to pinpoint exactly where did donuts originate from. It is generally accepted that the origin of doughnuts dates back to the 1700s when Dutch settlers brought this dish with them. Do you know what were the first donuts called? Oliekoecken is the progenitor of donuts.
Why a market in the middle of a donut?
The real reason why there is a hole in the middle of a donut is still not known. However, there are some interesting theories:
- Facilitate digestion. Less dough that has not come into contact with oil has a beneficial effect on digestion.
- Allegedly, at first, donuts were made with a hole due to a shortage of ingredients.
- Even roasting. The most popular theory As the story goes, where in the mid-1800s the captain of the ship, Hanson Gregory, complained about doughnuts being friable. His proposal to create a hole in the center turned out to be so successful that it was this option that took root. And it is true that a circle of dough bakes more evenly if there is a hole in the center.
How did donuts become so popular?
In the 19th century, donuts entered the life of Americans and appear in cookbooks. The percentage of their use was still not high, until the First World War. During the hostilities, in order to encourage the military, they were served donuts “with the aroma of the house” right in the trenches. The Salvation Army, which consists mainly of girls, made a big contribution to the development of the donut as a national dish. With the return home after World War I, the number of donuts in homes increased exponentially.
In 1920 Century Baking changed its name to Dawn Foods and owners Eugene Worden and Grover Lutz expanded in Jackson, Michigan, to accommodate the production of their successful donut mix.
In New York City that same year, the first automatic donut machine was created by Adolph Levitt, who needed the creation at his bakery to keep up with the demand of hungry theatergoers. Customers now could enjoy the show of dough floating down a river of oil during the production process.
World War II was also directly related to donuts. Volunteers from the Red Cross, who later received the title of Donut Dollies, handed out donuts and not only in unique buses called Clubmobiles. About 100 of these vehicles were involved in the invasion of Normandy in 1944.
1966 is remembered for the patent for a machine that can produce donuts with ice. Its productivity was 1000 donuts per hour.
A more modern history of donuts
In 1972, we witnessed some major innovations in the world of donuts. Dawn introduced pioneering technology that solidified its Raised donut mix as the industry standard, while Entenmann’s launched its popular Rich Frosted donut, a chocolate-covered cake-like treat that went on to sell for the next four decades. Not to be outdone, Dunkin’ Donuts unveiled the Munchkin.
As we approached the turn of the century, donuts continued to rise in popularity. Krispy Kreme, long dominant in the South, began expanding north and west– achieving a 20% sales increase in 1997. Meanwhile, Dunkin’ Donuts maintained stores in twice as many states as Krispy Kreme and spanned 38 countries.
Top 5 facts you need to know about donuts
If you are interested in donuts, then you will definitely not pass by these curious facts related to them:
- There are about 10 people with the last name Donut in the United States.
- There used to be a Voodoo Donut network. They sold medicinal donuts that were coated with Nyquil or Pepto Bismol.
- Boston is the most populous city for donuts. Here, the number of donut shops per person is the highest on Earth.
- In France, the donut was called “the nun’s fart”. In French it sounds like pets de none.
- The cops were made to love donuts. Back in the 1950s, donut shop owners wanted to work the night shift, but the crime rate prevented them from doing so. They staged an action, donuts are free for the police at night. All the criminal elements in the district knew that it was better not to go there because there are always a lot of policemen there.
What is the most popular donut?
Donuts consistently win awards as the most popular sweets in America, but glazed donuts are the most beloved. They were chosen by 36% of all Americans. Boston cream donuts came in second place, followed by jelly, sprinkled, powder, and twist.
When it comes to places where donuts are ordered the most, 42% prefer Krispy Kreme. They also like to buy sweet desserts at Dunkin’, Tim Hortons, Daylight Donuts, Top Pot Donuts, and Honey Dew Donuts.
Top donut movies
Man Push Cart (2005)
While everyone in the city sleeps, Ahmad continues to drag his heavy cart through the dark alleys of New York. He had recently been a rock star in Pakistan, but life went downhill when he became a forced immigrant. Ahmad’s life is connected with donuts and coffee, which he sells daily. Let’s skip the plot spoilers.
You can watch this movie on Netflix. Although not in all regions, in many regions the film is available. A tip for the future, figure out how to watch UK Netflix in US so you can bypass content blocks. This or any other movie may not be available in your country, but installing a VPN solves this problem. You can even use the free trial version of VeePN. She has a pleasant speed and enough servers.
The Boys Next Door (1996)
Follow the life of Jack Palmer, a social worker who throws himself into his work. Most often, he acts as an assistant for 4 mentally retarded men. Among them:
- Norman, who works in a donut shop and loves keys;
- Barry, who fancies himself a professional golfer with a bad relationship with his father;
- Arnold, who loves everything Russian and spending money;
- Lucien is a devoted, even over-the-top, Spider-Man fan who is about to testify before the State Senate.
Jack is faced with a difficult dilemma, to help these people further in the embodiment of their often strange desires or to live on. He became attached to the guys and the farewell, if it happens, will definitely be difficult.
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and you thought a donut was a donut!