The first doughnuts were made in the 19th century when the Dutch fried balls of cake in pork fat and called them “olykoeks” or “oil cakes”. Today, doughnuts are as American as apple pie. In fact, over 10 billion donuts are made in the US alone annually. On the average, every American eats 63 doughnuts a year. Read this interesting article and find out some more fun facts about doughnuts.
1. National Doughnut Day
During World War I, female members of the Salvation Army made and distributed doughnuts to the frontline American soldiers who were stationed in France. The Salvation Army founded the “National Doughnut Day” in 1938 to honor the “Doughnut Girls”, as well as raise money for the needy. According to Time.com, “doughboys” was the nickname given to the homesick soldiers. This holiday is celebrated on the first Friday in June.
2. Dunking Doughnuts
Another fun fact about doughnuts is, dunking these tasty pastries really caught on after people sawClark Gable teach Claudette Colbert the “right way to do it” in the 1934 movie “It Happened One Night.”
The practice of dunking doughnuts supposedly started in a New York eatery when silent film star Mae Murray dropped hers in her coffee.
3. America’s Largest Doughnut
A jelly doughnut weighing 1.7 tons, being 16 feet in diameter, and 16 inches high in the center, holds the record.
4. Doughnut Sales Leaders
Vernon Rudolph bought a “secret yeast-raised doughnut recipe” from a French chef. He started making Krispy Kreme doughnuts in North Carolina in July of 1937. It wasn’t until 1950 that William Rosenberg founded Dunkin’ Donuts in Massachusetts. The Dunkin’ Donut franchise sells the most doughnuts worldwide.
5. Doughnuts and Calories
If you’re watching your calorie intake, you’ll probably pass up a doughnut and choose a bagel or a croissant instead. Truth is, if you get a Ray’s Original Glazed Donut from LaMar’s in Kansas City, Missouri, you’ll be consuming only 220 calories. A bagel with cream cheese is about 450 calories.
If you buy a standard jelly doughnut at Dunkin’ Donuts, you’ll ingest about 260 calories. A plain bagel contains 320 calories, while a croissant is 310 calories.
Resources
Top 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Doughnuts
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ellynanne-geisel/happy-national-doughnut-d_b_870288.html
http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Doughnut.aspx
