The donut is instantly recognizable by its ring shape. But have you ever wondered why it has that hole right in the middle? Beneath this sweet curiosity lies a practical story... and one that’s entirely American through and through!
Originally, the fried donuts that would later evolve into the donuts did not have a hole in the middle. They were simply deep-fried dough balls, often called olykoeks ("oil cakes") or oliebollen ("oil-cooked balls"), brought to North America by Dutch immigrants in the 17th century. These early round treats were sometimes filled with dried fruits or spices, but remained whole in the center.
The famous hole in the middle is said to have appeared in the mid-19th century, thanks to an innovation attributed to an American sailor named Hanson Gregory. In 1847, while aboard a ship, he supposedly noticed that fully filled doughnuts cooked unevenly: the outside crisped up while the center remained raw. To fix this, he reportedly decided to remove the dough's central part, resulting in a ring-shaped treat.
By cutting a hole in the middle, the dough could fry more evenly, as the hot oil would reach both the inside and outside of the donut. This technique helped improve the texture, cooking consistency, and often made it easier to digest—a real advantage for a fried treat. However, it's hard to find concrete evidence to support this legend as tasty and maritime as it sounds!
Over time, the ring shape has become legendary as the classic style of the donut. Special cookie cutters were designed to craft these rings, leaving behind the iconic 'donut holes,' the small dough balls taken from the center that would eventually become a treat all on their own (nothing goes to waste!).
In the 20th century, with industrialization and the advent of donut machines, this treat quickly gained popularity. It helped establish the donut as a pastry that, though often linked to North America, is now enjoyed across all continents!
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