Happy & Healthy
OBSESSED WITH DONUTS
by Marion Pauw
Years ago, I spotted dozens of Americans standing in line with flat white boxes for the flight from Miami to Curaçao. There were donuts in them, a travel companion told me. Americans are so crazy about their donuts that they take a few dozen with them on vacation just to be safe (!). And preferably donuts filled with chocolate, jam, whipped cream, or whatever you can think of to make that fried thing even more calorie-rich. As soon as I was back in America, I stopped by Dunkin’ Donuts and a new obsession was born. It's just that I'm still, as they say, attached to my figure; otherwise, I would only eat that delicious greasy sweet stuff. Because man oh man, a donut is unbelievably delicious.
For those who have never eaten a donut, maybe you should skip this post, because I’m sure you’ll want to try one after this. If you’ve ever eaten a donut, but it was at a train station café or in a supermarket, you still don’t know what I’m talking about. Because a really good donut, the ultimate combination of sweet and neutral, fat and airy, is just the effing bomb, really.
Oh donut… The word sounds a bit like ‘O, do not’. It’s something you shouldn’t eat, but you always do anyway. Sigh.
Let’s start by establishing what a donut is. A donut is a round fried cake with a hole in it, whose dough has risen for an hour first. This creates a calorie bomb that is sweet, fatty, and airy at the same time. The donut (or doughnut) is dusted with powdered sugar and cinnamon and can be filled with a custard-like filling, jam, or (heavens!) chocolate mousse. At some donut chains in America, you even have the choice of up to 100 different flavors like banana-coconut pudding or donuts named ‘Rainbow Pony’ (I want that).
And do you know what’s so funny? The donut was invented by Dutch immigrants in America! The story goes that a lady in the 19th century baked an oliebol for her son. He found it a bit too much and made a hole in the middle for a bit more airiness. And the rest is, as we beautifully say: history.
But at the same time, I hope it happens, you know?
Fortunately, or actually NOT fortunately, we can now also eat super creative donuts in the Netherlands at places like Harewood Bakery in Amsterdam. Owner Kim (whom I happen to know) bakes donuts on-site in flavors like crème brûlée and mango curd chili. She herself is enviably slim without ever having to do anything about it, which is of course a cruel twist of fate. Oh, and she also serves great coffee and tea that has a whole story attached to it. Because that’s what people want these days, a story with their food and drink. If you don’t live near Amsterdam, and it seems that about 15 million people don’t, I’ve googled a few other addresses for you. In Maastricht, you can go to Monkey Coffee, a seemingly super cozy coffee shop with its own donut bakery. And in Gouda, you can pick up donuts at donut giant J&J Donuts.
By the way, Dunkin’ Donuts has plans to open several locations in the Netherlands. I fear that the average BMI will then rise by at least 20%, so I hope it doesn’t happen. But at the same time, I hope it does, you know?
Oh donut… The word sounds a bit like ‘O, do not’. It’s something you shouldn’t eat, but you always do anyway. Sigh.
