Abstract

Doughnuts, like hot dogs and apple pie, are widely seen as a quintessentially American food.But their story is much older, one that began in the Old World. Doughnut: A Global History reveals the long history and wide reach of these deep-fried dough delights. Heather Hunswick takes readers on an exciting ride from pre-history, to Ancient Egypt and Rome, through medieval and Renaissance Europe, and up to the New World. Here, doughnuts evolved from the open-hearth to the present, with its many old and familiar local favorites, popular commercial brands, and new waves of mouth-watering artisanal creations. It’s a story that encompasses not just culinary history, but the doughnut’s role in art and culture, health and social changes, and fad and fashion. So pour a cup of coffee and settle in for a great read, one sure to delight doughnut lovers and food historians alike.
“What defines a doughnut? It’s not such an easy question to answer. Must a doughnut be deep-fried or baked to truly be a doughnut? (answer: ‘Deep-frying is as essential to the doughnut as it is to the French fry.’) What sort of dough or batter must be used to make it a doughnut? Must a doughnut have a particular shape to qualify as a doughnut? And what’s with the hole? . . . Hunwick explores the history and evolution of doughnuts, their role in pivotal historical events from European colonization of the Americas to the trenches of World War I. They continue to play a role today: a fascinating chapter explores ‘The Imperial Doughnut,’ and the corporate machinations which have given rise to today’s doughnut empires. . . . Finally, Hunwick considers the cultural politics of the doughnut: from the novels of Harriet Beecher Stowe and the work of Marcel Proust, to the iconic Homer Simpson.”
  — Hans Rollman, PopMatters
Heather Delauncey Hunwick is a food consultant with professional qualifications in cookery, business, and food history.