Leave it to an old cop to stress the importance of this day of recognition. Yesterday, June 7 was the day we pay homage to a treat that at once drains your salivary glands and clogs your arteries. I know no-one who doesn’t enjoy a doughnut or two and cup of coffee when the urge for sugar overwhelms them. Their attraction is every bit as compelling as cocaine is to Hunter. What about these little triglyceride bombs? Here is the lowdown.
They made their way to Colonial America courtesy of the Dutch. Their actual origin is a mystery, but sometime around 1847 an American named Hanson Gregory invented the machine that would punch holes in the little wads of dough, resulting in a uniform finish in hot oil. It is believed the moniker “doughboy” bestowed on our troops in France during WWI was derived from the cooking of these treats in their helmets. We also know that ladies working for the Salvation Army prowled the front lines supplying the troops with this morale boosting treat. (The USO ladies in Vietnam were often referred to as donut dollies, but I don’t recall ever seeing an actual doughnut while there.)
There are well in excess of 30 varieties of doughnuts recognized worldwide. A few of the more popular are, yeast, cake, glazed, sugar, powdered sugar, churrus, crumb, chocolate covered, creme filled, fruit filled, jelly filled, Boston Creme, crullers, long John’s and bear claws. Tazzy has a strong preference for the “holes”, perfect morsels for his Labrador appetite and an easy toss over the seat. I am sure every reader will have their favorite donut store, but the occasion is as important as the pastry. When I patrolled the Interstate Zone around Kansas City, my go to was Lamars, I think on Troost. A close patrol colleague, Ernie Raub, and I once polished off a dozen of the triglyceride bombs on the way home from a Gaming Commission meeting in Kansas City. The crime scene was a Krispy Kreme in St. Charles where the box was too hot to hold on to. Who could resist?
Forgetting my lack of standing as an officer from Missouri, I displayed terrible judgement while on vacation in Florida, going the wrong way on a street to enter a Krispy Kreme, also the wrong way in the drive through, to keep from missing a “Hot Now” sign that was of particular interest to the grand kids. You have to do what you have to do….and the doughnuts were wonderful!
How popular are these belly bombs? Krispy Kreme rakes in around 450 million a quarter in total revenues. Of course there are many other venues, all doing, I am sure, very well. Think about it? Do you have a particular favorite purveyor of these timeless delectables? I hope so…and urge you to catch up on celebrating this important day if you missed a treat yesterday.
We are entering that magic time of the year when you can enjoy life on every level that does not require snow. Get out, grab a cup and your favorite doughnut and smile. I think there just might be a Krispy Kreme in heaven……….where every day is Doughnut Day!
Get out and go….
SR
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