Donuts

 Donuts Around the World: Global Takes on a Classic Treat

Conglomerate, donuts have become a cultural staple food and widely celebrated snack food that has evolved from merely fried dough to be a world-class delicacy. Cookies have always been humble creations that, sometimes in a very explicit, sometimes in a somewhat concealed manner, tell of the food culture of the particular country. In this articled the author intends to look at how different global zones have adopt and incorporated the donut in which has led to very many interesting innovative recipes.

Universal Appeal of Fried Dough

Before exploring the peculiarities of national donut numerousities, it will be relevant to take notice of how and why the fried dough attracting common population could be. The practice involves use of oil or fat to fry dough can be traced back to thousands of years ago. Cultures as old of Greek and Egyptians had some form of fried dough, it was part of their staple diet. The recipe used basic combines of flour, water, sugar and oil that was easily adopted by many cultures, also, deep frying provided it the outer crusty surface and soft centre.

Eventually, this simple concept of fried dough presented itself differently across the face of the world by way of local ingredients, tradition, and taste. In that respect, these types of donuts hold some importance in many cultures and are enjoyed during festival, holidays and during any events of triumph.

Classic American Donut

When most people think of donuts, they often envision the classic American version: a fluffy or cake-shaped ring with a hollow center which is sometimes sugary-glazed or decorated with icing and confectioners’ sugar. American donut has European roots, and particularly the Dutch who introduced a fried dough called “olykoeks” to the United States in the 18th century. These ‘oil cakes’ were ball shaped fried, and usually filled with fruits or nuts.

The ring-shaped donut that we commonly consumed today was developed in middle of the nineteenth century supposedly by Hanson Gregory, a sailor who inserted a hole into the dough while frying so that it cooks evenly. Since then, donut has grown to become an endemic item in the American food values mostly known as break fast or snack.

it has also led to formation of big brands which include dunkin dared and krispy kreme which have made and spread donuts all over the world most of which have been associated with extravagance.

1. Dutch Oliebollen (Netherlands)

Olieslag: Before the donuts became popular with people in the United States of America they had a kind of the fried dough in the, Netherlands, known as oliebollen. This is fried and has a circular shape and is generally consumed during the New Year’s Eve celebration and it is mostly decorated with powdered sugar. Oliebollen are often made stuffed with raisins or apples and basically the outside part gives a sweet touch. Although they are not like hole ones from the United States, they are still doughnuts which are deep fried.

Oliebollen has its roots as far back as the Germanic Paganism when its preparation was a way to honor the gods during the overcoming of winter Solstice, also known as Yule festival. Today, you can observe stands with oliebollen all over Netherlands, although during winter mostly thus preserving the tradition.

2. Churros are a Spanish confection and is also popular in most of Latin America.

Surprisingly, churros – long, cylinder-shaped pastries of Spanish and Latin American origin, are pretty similar. This fried dough can be a long and ridged twist, usually sprinkled with cinnamon sugar and usually served with a side of warmed up chocolate syrup for dipping. Churros was discovered to have been made in Spain and commonly eaten in the morning or in the afternoon. Some reached Latin America and were integrated into the street food tradition of nations such as Mexico, Argentina, as well as Venezuela.

Churros in many Latin American countries are traditionally sweet and you can put filling such as dulce de leche, chocolate or vanilla cream inside churros. When it comes to Mexico you’re likely to see a churro vendor on literally any street corner, and the only things that could make churros better are those thick, spicy Mexican hot chocolates which themselves are a perfect match for churros’ crunchy crust and tender inside.

3. Sufganiyot (Israel)

In Israel, the traditional snack during the Hanukkah celebration is called sufganiyot which is simply doughnuts. This is small, spherical and has jelly fillings; and they are also usually fried and sometimes sprinkled with icing sugar. Sufganiyot also, like all foods fried in oil, also symbolize the ongoing holiday of Hanukkah, the miracle of the oil for eight days in the Temple of Jerusalem.

Traditional sufganiyot is usually stuffed with strawberry or raspberry jam but current trends of the jelly fillings include chocolate, custard and dulce de leche. Though they are usually eaten mainly during the Hanukkah season, sweet donuts known as sufganiyot can be bought throughout the year in most bakeries in Israel.

4. Loukoumades (Greece)

Loukoumades are round and small fritters served in Greece for generations. Originally, they’re traditionally eaten with honey and spices such as cinnamon or sesame seeds to top up the sweet taste. Loukoumades is a dish of modern times by which chocolate sauce, nuts, and many other items can be added.

Traditional sweet loukoumades were traditionally prepared for festivals and other such occasions and are also part of the family occasions menu today. It is thought to have been used since ancient Greek times when they acted as rewards given to Olympic champions.

5. Beignets (France and New Orleans)

Fried dough confection called Beignets come from France but they were adopted by the French colonizers of New Orleans; they are formed of square pieces of dough, fried until they turn golden brown and sprinkled with powdered sugar. In New Orleans, Beignet represents food very well especially in Café du Monde.

French beignets are usually beignets with no toppings, fruit filling or custard inside, New Orleans style beignets, best served with a cup of strong café au lait. This is just fantastic, the soft texture of the beignet, adorned with the relatively bitter coffee.

6. Berliner (Germany)

Known in Germany as Berliners, these are doughnuts that are filled with jam, and are more like sufganiyot, and don’t have a hole in the center. They are commonly associated with the consumption on the last day of the year, the so called Silvester or during Carnival. Berliners are German dough balls, fried and containing fruit jams; rasberry or plum are the most popular ones, which are then powdered with powdered sugar or iced.

During carnival in Germany, Berliners are especially prized since people feast on them as part of their fun. Some of them have custard or cream fillings, or in some areas, people fill those with mustard or whatever as a joke in Carnival.

7. Gulab Jamun (India)

It is not a western style donut but it does have the same preparation and texture as a donut. These are very small round balls based on a mixture of khoya, which is a milk-solid dough and then fried and soaked in dense sweet syrup having rose water, saffron or cardamom. The end product has a sort of a sponge like texture and simply dripping with sugar.

Gulab jamun is traditional dessert, consumed in India, Pakistan and rest of the South Asian country during festive season, marriage ceremony and other social functions. Due to its intensely concentrate flavours and sticky texture the dish is popular in span the subcontinent.

8. Zeppole (Italy)

Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce you to Zeppole – a kind of a donut, which is characteristic of Italy, yet these sweet morsels are indeed traditionally consumed only during certain holidays: St. Joseph’s Day among them. These are fried unleavened dough balls normally dusted with icing sugar and can occasionally be filled with custard or jelly. Zeppole is a pastry that can be found all year round, but in Southern Italy, particularly in Naples, is sold especially during the St. Joseph’s Day celebrations.

Zeppole is and airy pastry that can be eaten plain or with various fillings which make it a favorite dessert in all of Italy.

9. Mandazi (East Africa)

In East Africa especially in Kenya and Tanzania, a mandazi is a type of fried dough snack very much like a doughnut. While on the other hand, Mandazi is comparatively less sweet, and it is more or less denser than doughnuts popular in Western countries. It can be sufficiently sweetened to include coconut milk, cardamom or other natural spices which makes the donut to taste differently from the normal ones.

Mandazi is best taken when it is a snack or as breakfast meal with tea, or coffee. It remains a cultural dish in most of the east African countries and is usually prepared during families functions/occasions.

10. An-doughnut (Japan)

It appears Japan has also adopted the donut and usually calls it an-doughnut, a blend of the American concept cooked in the Japanese manner. This donut is usually a sweet paste known as red bean paste, anko, commonly used in Japanese products. The an-doughnut is the Japanese version of the western donut with the sweet and earthy red bean paste filling.

An-doughnuts can be bought in bakeries as well as in convenience stores in Japan, which also offer more American-style doughnuts. These two types of cuisine reflect how Japan blends the received trend with its culture or way of preparing food.

The Global Donut Phenomenon

All kinds of donuts persist and develop with time and extend into different countries. This show gives a viewer a glance at how each culture prepares this known dessert in presenting the way that different cultures are with their food. From the traditional American cake glaze donut to the honey bathed kourabiedes in Greece and syrupy gulab jamun in India, there really is nothing that unites people worldwide like a donut.

Whether filled with jam, dusted with powdered sugar, or dipped in chocolate, donuts around the world share one common trait: What is more, they produce happiness to people who eat them.