Our doughnut journey begins in the 15
th century Germany. It was here in 1485, the cookbook Kuchenmeisterei (Kuchen-meis-ter)(Mastery of the Kitchen) was published in Nuremberg, Germany. In 1532, it was translated into Polish as Kuchmistrzostwo (Kuch-mis-tro-zo). Besides serving as a resource for post-medieval central European cooking and being one of the first cookbooks to be run off Johannes Gutenberg’s revolutionary printing press, this volume contained what was then a revolutionary recipe: the first record of a jelly doughnut, “Gefüllte Krapfen.” This early version consisted of a bit of
jam sandwiched between two rounds of yeast breaddough and deep-fried in lard. Whether the anonymous author actually invented the
idea or recounted a new practice, the concept of filling a doughnut with jam spread across the globe.
The interesting thing about these doughnuts, they were usually filled with meat, pork, mushrooms, and other un-sweet items inside of a non-sweet dough. This was in large part due to the price of sugar, as it was really expensive to have in Germany at the time. Once the price of sugar fell with the introduction of Caribbean sugar plantations. Soon sugar and, in turn, fruit preserves proliferated in
Europe. Within a century of the jelly doughnut’s initial appearance in Germany, every northern European country from Denmark to Russia had adopted the pastry, although it was still a rare treat generally associated with specific holidays.
In Germany, the doughnuts have been referred to as Berliners for over 200 years. The history of this terminology remains blurry, but some sources claim that the pastry was named after a baker from Berlin. In 1756, this baker was allegedly deemed unfit for the Prussian military, but allowed to work as a baker for the regiment. While he was in the field, he would fry doughnutsover an open fire. His comrades named the treats after his hometown, calling them Berliners.
As the doughnuts evolved and spread throughout the world, they were given a variety of names; at one point, Germans even referred to them as Bismarcken, after Chancellor Otto von Bismarck. Today, terminology largely depends on the region: Berlin residents refuse to refer to the doughnuts as Berliners, calling them Pfannkuchen instead (which means "pancakes" in the rest of Germany). In parts of north and west Germany, the savory treats are still called Berliners, while in central and south Germany they are generally referred to as Krapfen. In Hesse and the Palitinate, they are known as Kreppel.
In America, these filled pastries were brought by large numbers of German immigrants who came to America in the middle of the 19th and early 20th Centuries. These immigrants settled in Pennsylvania and were misnamed the Pennsylvania Dutch as they bore a resemblance to the Dutch settlers of the same state. Once they settled, they began to make doughnuts they called Fastnachtkuchen (Fastnacht, literally “fast night” in German). Other settlers and Americans shortened the name to Fastnachts,or even fasnachts.
These doughnuts,besides being jelly filled could and were made in a square shape with no filling at all. Instead of filling, these fastnachts were normally eaten with molasses or cream cheese, as they were not a sweet dough. Besides eating them with the molasses and cream cheese, these doughnuts were also eaten with or better yet, dunked into a saffron tea. Other beverages may have been suitable, and early forms of coffee may have originated here.
The most famous form of these doughnuts though come from a region far away from Pennsylvania. They originated in New Orleans, and were eaten during Mardi Gras. French settlers that were kicked out of Quebec and transverse the United States, came into contact with the Pennsylvania Dutch. During the encounter, learned the ways of making the fastnachts and took them with on their way to New Orleans. Besides the French who learned of the ways of making these doughnuts, they were also met in New Orleans by other German settlers who arrived in the United States as did their counterparts from Pennsylvania.
Besides being famous in New Orleans, the fastnachts even had their own day in 1870 called Fastnacht Day. The day continues yearly but is usually celebrated by German-Americans. The day is usually around the Lent season and becomes a part of the official kickoff to Mardi Gras. Some call the day, Fat Tuesday.
FAQs
The history of the donut can be traced back to a recipe for stuffed fried dough cakes without sugar found in a German cookbook from the year 1485. Not quite the ones we know and love today, but we're getting to the good stuff! Eventually, the Dutch put their own spin on this doughy goodness.
What does the 🍩 mean? ›
The Doughnut emoji 🍩 depicts a doughnut, a commonly eaten baked good. It is commonly used to represent real and metaphorical doughnuts, breakfast, bakeries and baked foods, snacks, coffee breaks, The Simpsons, and negative stereotypes of police officers.
What is the history of the Salvation Army donuts? ›
The Salvation Army created the first donut day event in Chicago in 1938 as a fundraiser to help those in need during The Great Depression. Donut Lassies were Salvation Army volunteers who baked and delivered donuts during World War I.
What is a doughnut called in German? ›
The German Berliner (Doughnut)
In parts of north and west Germany, the savory treats are still called Berliners, while in central and south Germany they are generally referred to as Krapfen.
What country invented donuts? ›
The history of the doughnut itself is generally traced to Dutch immigrants in 17th- and 18th-century New York, then New Netherland, who prepared fried dough balls called olie koeken or olykoeks, which means “oil cakes.” They were similar to modern doughnuts, although they did not yet have the iconic ring shape.
What is a donut without a hole called? ›
LaMiaItalia. These classic doughnuts are typically round without a hole in the middle, and generally leavened with yeast.
What does 👉👈 mean in texting? ›
👉👈 — Shy, nervous (usually in the context of flirting)
What does :* mean? ›
it is a symbol for a kiss, a symbol of affection.
What does Rizz actually mean? ›
What does it mean? Rizz is short for “charisma,” and it simply means an ability to charm and woo a person. It's pronounced, well, rizz, just like it's spelled. The term found its way into teen slang through TikTok and other social media.
What is the forbidden donut? ›
Marge explains that he ate the entire wedding cake by himself… before the wedding. On the back Homer pledges his soul to Marge, and the jury finds that his soul is the property of Marge, not the devil's. The devil begrudgingly agrees, but instead of taking Homer's soul, he turns his head into a big donut.
“Even though I technically could take the donuts to the homeless, I legally can't give [them] to shelters unless the company allows it (which they don't).” Many restaurants refuse to donate leftover food because they're afraid of getting sued.
Who sold the first donut? ›
Origins. While food resembling doughnuts has been found at many ancient sites, the earliest origins to the modern doughnuts are generally traced back to the olykoek (“oil(y) cake”) Dutch settlers brought with them to early New York (or New Amsterdam).
What is a German donut with no hole? ›
Germany – The Berliner (Berliner Pfannkuchen) is a predominantly German and Central European doughnut made from sweet yeast dough fried in fat or oil, without a hole.
What is a German jelly donut called? ›
A Krapfen or Berliner is a German jam doughnut with no central hole, made from sweet yeast dough fried in lard or cooking oil, with a jam filling, and usually covered in powdered sugar.
What is the German word for pizza? ›
Pizza is translated in German by...
Die Pizza (f) Pizza.
What kind of donuts are in Germany? ›
Berliner, Krapfen, Kreppel, Pfannkuchen... there are way too many words to describe the perfection that a German donut is.
What is the German donut before Lent? ›
Fasnachts were made as a way to empty the pantry of lard, sugar, fat, and butter, which were traditionally fasted from during Lent.
Which country is famous for doughnut? ›
United States and Canada. Frosted, glazed, powdered, Boston cream, coconut, sour cream, cinnamon, chocolate, and jelly are some of the varieties eaten in the United States and Canada. There are also potato doughnuts (sometimes referred to as spudnuts).
What's the difference between donuts and Berliners? ›
Unlike the American doughnut, Berliners are made into balls, but don't get a hole in the middle before they are deep fried. In both cases, the dough is typically elevated with yeast. American doughnuts are made from flattened dough and have the centers cut out, which are then fried to make doughnut holes.
