In celebration of the launch of SA’s first Dunkin’ Donuts happening today (yes, today! – read here for the details), we have sweet treats on the brain. Here’s 10 things we bet you didn’t know about doughnuts.
1. The first written doughnut
Washington Irving, author of the best-selling classic The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, is the first ever writer to describe a doughnut in print. He wrote: ‘Balls of sweetened dough, fried in hog’s fat, and called doughnuts, or olykoeks’.
2. Care for an oily cake?
And speaking of olykoeks, the Dutch are, in fact, to be congratulated for bringing these delicious golden pastries to America in the 1800s. This name, when marketing and clean-eating diets clearly weren’t an issue, translated to ‘oily cakes’.
3. Doughnut Girls
When Americans were overseas at war, nurses would often bring them doughnuts and coffee to raise their spirits and remind them of home. During WWI, these female volunteers were labelled ‘Doughnut Girls’. In WWII, doughnuts were served up by Red Cross women, known as ‘Doughnut Dollies’.
4. That’s large!
The largest doughnut was a typical American jelly made in 1993. It weighed 1 542 kg, was 4.9m wide and 41 cm high.
5. To space and back…
If you stacked up all the doughnuts sold during National Doughnut Week since its inception 20 years ago, they would reach space.
6. There’s a day for that?
Mark down 7 June in your calendars, it’s National Doughnut Day.
7. Cows
There is a widely regarded rumour that doughnuts were created when a cow kicked over a vat of hot oil, spilling it on to some resting dough.
8. #winning
Although we are spoilt for choice when it comes to flavours, the winner – list after list, survey after survey – is plain glazed.
9. Doughnut walls
A huge trend taking over social media at the moment are doughnut walls at weddings. We’re in!
10. Bling, bling
The most expensive doughnut in the world goes for around $100 a piece. It’s made from edible gold, edible diamonds, aged chocolate balsamic vinegar and a few secret ingredients… The tears of an angel, perhaps?
