Lauren
With National Donut Day, which will be celebrated on Friday, June 5 this year, only a dozen (a baker’s dozen that is) weeks away, there is no better time than the present to talk about these delicious, sugary treats.
To prepare for this dough-mentous occasion, here are four holesome donut facts that are sure to be a hole in one!
1. An American sea captain invented the donut “hole”
You know the feeling of victory you had when you won a donut eating contest as a child? You were the first kid to eat an entire donut hanging from the ceiling, carefully maneuvering around the string tied through the hole in the donut, and the glory of winning filled you with a sense of pride and accomplishment. Well, you owe that glorious feeling to Captain Hanson Crockett Gregory, the man credited for inventing the hole in the donut.
Donuts, which were first introduced to the United States by Dutch immigrants in New York (formerly New Amsterdam) used to just be balls of deep-fried dough. Captain Gregory loved to take donuts his mother made on his travels. Whether he had a true innovative spirit, or he was simply looking for a more convenient way to eat these treats while steering a ship, he decided to make holes in the center of these donuts, and the rest is history.
2. The secret ingredient for perfect donuts: patience
There are a lot of steps to making a donut just right. The best-tasting donuts have a light texture and are fried to perfection. In order to make mouthwatering donuts that meet these criteria, a chef has to be willing to put in the time, effort, and patience it takes to make delicious donuts.
Great donuts need to be:
- Hand made with fresh ingredients
- Prepared in oil that is heated to the exact right temperature
- Placed in the oil at the exact right time
- Made with dough that has been chilled, proofed, and allowed to rise properly
All of these steps take time to prepare and master. You cannot rush perfection! That’s why, according to the Washington Post, patience is the key ingredient for amazing donuts.
3. Love donuts? Visit Boston, Chicago, or Canada
Are you a donut lover? Consider moving to Boston, Massachusetts where there is an estimated 1 donut shop for every 2,400 people. If that is not enough, you can always renew your passport and head to Canada, which has the most donut shops per capita in the world.
While Boston has the most donut shops, if you are craving a donut, Chicago is also a great place to visit. Donuts have been big in Chicago since the 1934 World’s Fair in Chicago where donuts were seen as a “wave of the future.”
4. The most expensive donuts cost $1,200
While people could buy donuts for as little as a nickel during the height of the Great Depression, and nowadays a donut will only cost you about a dollar, the most expensive donuts in the world cost $1,200 for a dozen.
The Golden Cristal Ube is filled with champagne, and it is covered in 24-karat gold. Yet, somehow, it is a lot less crazy than KFC’s fried chicken and donut sandwich.
While there have been exclusive donuts available in the United States for as high as $500 apiece, the Golden Cristal Ube is the most expensive donut to be offered year-round.
The next time you eat a donut, take time to thank Captain Gregory and think of these fun facts!
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