Good morning, welcome back to our series sharing Food Holidays: November 5th, 2021. Today is a perfect day for my family to celebrate because its National Doughnut Day which is mine and Charlie’s favorite snack. As well as National Chinese Takeout Day which David would love. Except were going to Pancho’s with a friend for lunch so we will not have the opportunity to celebrate either Holiday. How about you?
November 5
National Doughnut Day
Donut Fact:
- The Donut or Doughnut is a deep-fried piece of dough or batter. Donut comes from the Dutch origin of Olykoeck or “oily cake”. The two most common types of Donuts are the flattened sphere (you know…the ones that are injected with Jelly or Custard) and the Ring Donut.
- Internationally, Dunkin’ Donuts has over 1700 locations in 29 Countries and over 6,000 stores in 30 Countries world-wide! In the U.S. there are over 4,400 locations across 36 states.
- Krispy Kreme is probably best known for their fresh, hot, glazed, yeast-raised Doughnuts. The company’s “Hot Doughnuts Now” flashing sign is an integral part of the brands appeal and fame. Did you know when the sign is on that used to mean they would give you one fresh Glazed Donut. Which I don’t think they do now and it stinks.
- Jelly-filled or Chocolate Frosted also rank as their top sellers. Coconut Crunch, although not a number one seller, still remains one of the over 52 varieties of Donut the chain produces on a yearly basis.
- Did you know Americans consume 10 billion Donut annually.? It really is too big of a number when you consider that as of 1997, there were 6,792 Donut shops in the U.S. alone. In 2021, I can only imagine that the number of Donut shops has increased dramatically. Unfortunately, 1997 was the last year that all overall statistics and data is available.
National Donut Day falls each year on the first Friday of June and we are getting geared up to savor our best-loved fried dough confections. Have you ever resisted eating a Donut? It’s certainly an uphill battle. Fortunately, National Donut Day falls this year in November. Be sure to visit your favorite Donut shop, this morning.
WHEN IS NATIONAL DONUT DAY 2022?
The favorite treat of Barack Obama, Homer Simpson, and the cops is celebrated on National Donut Day on June 4th.
HISTORY OF NATIONAL DONUT DAY
At one point or another in our lives, we’ve found ourselves craving a Donut for me that is at least every couple weeks. How about you? When we think about it, it’s not really a surprise that Donut hits the spot like no other. Donuts pair exceptionally well with tasty hot beverages. Donuts can be had as a quick snack or to accompany a long conversation. Most of all, there’s a Donut out there for all of us. From traditional Glazed Donuts to daring recipes such as Maple-Bacon Donuts or Donuts infused with Alcohol.
The origin of National Donut Day are traced to The Salvation Army’s involvement in World War I. During this time, a group of volunteers was dispatched to the frontlines with the mission of providing comforting meals for the troops. They soon found out that Donuts were an effective way to provide food while navigating the difficulties of cooking in very dire circumstances. These brave volunteers would later be known as “Donut Lassies”. They would even use War helmets as a utensil to fry up seven Donuts at a time. Can you imagine that?
In 1938 “Donut Day” was established as a way to honor the members of the Salvation Army that came to the aid of Soldiers during World War I. Nowadays, National Donut Day is widely celebrated on the first Friday of June. Many Donut shops are known to give Donuts out for free. Making this a good reason to take time out of the day to visit a Donut Shop this morning.
TRADITIONS OF THE DAY
The traditions for National Donut Day are simple; eat as many Donuts as you can, in as many varieties as possible. This is exactly how the day is traditionally celebrated every year. The Donut has come a long way. It’s now available in so many delightful variations. How can one resist not trying them all? Whether its Jam-filled Donuts, or Bavarian Cream, or a good old Chocolate Glazed, Donuts are enjoyed and celebrated by children and adults all over the Country.
Donut franchises have deals on their menu as well as special Donut prepared just for this Holiday. There is a lot of competition for POLICMEN at Donut Shops, with lines of people clamoring to get their Donut. Donuts are also cooked at home — which is a great activity for the family. Especially kids, who get to decorate their Donuts with different Icings and toppings.
5 FACTS ABOUT DONUTS
- Dutch Settlers had a different name for Donuts they called them “Olykoeks”, which translates to, Oily Cakes.
- The first versions were simply made up of a Fried Dough, omitting their now characteristic shape with the hole.
- Did you know Donuts exist in math? IIn geometry, the shape of a Donut is known as a Torus.
- There’s an estimated 10 billion donuts sold in the United States.
- Donuts can be luxurious and filled with Champagne and topped with 24 Karat Gold. Costing a pretty penny.
NATIONAL DONUT DAY ACTIVITIES
- Visit a local Donut Shop this morning and don’t pick your your usual Donut, experiment with different flavors
- Pick out a variety of Donuts to share with someone you love or give them to a stranger. A sweet treatcan go a long way.
- Make your own Donuts this morning can be an exciting experience to share with family especially when you tap into your creativity by choosing an array of toppings.
BY THE NUMBERS
10 billion – the number of Donuts made in the U.S. each year.
10 – this is the number of people living in America with ‘Donut’ as their surname.
13 – the number of people who have ‘Donut’ as their first name. Can you imagine that?
2480 – the City of Boston has one Donut Shop for every 2,480 people.
20 – the number of Donuts Renée Zellweger ate every day to gain weight for the sequel of “Bridget Jones’s Diary.” Man she must have been hungry because I can only eat two in a day. How about you?
9 – the Guinness World Record for the most Powdered Donuts eaten in three minutes.
201.02 million – the number of Donuts consumed by Americans in 2020.
100,000 – the number of Donuts churned out by Entenmann’s every hour.
3,660 – the number of Donuts it will take to reach the top of the Statue of Liberty.
55 million – the number of Donuts it would take to get from Long Beach, California, to Long Island, New York.
WHY WE LOVE NATIONAL DONUT DAY
- Specialty Donut Shops keep opening throughout the World. Each one combining local tastes and ingredients to the Donut.
- Even though Donut prices vary, they are generally an affordable pleasure.
- t doesn’t matter what time of the year it is, you can always find a Donut that fits the season. Including Candy Cane topped for Christmas or Pumpkin for Thanksgiving.
Five facts to know about Chinese take-out:
The foundations for what we know as Chinese food were laid in the mid-1800s, when a huge influx of Chinese immigrants came to California during the Gold Rush.
When American Chinese restaurants first stepped out into mainstream culture, restaurants offered two menus: a Chinese menu and an American menu. The American menu soon became the only menu due to the crowds of young Americans hungry for savory sauces found in the American Chinese dishes.
The folded paper boxes that have now become a staple of American Chinese food were traditionally used to transport Oysters. Did you know that?
Despite their popularity in American Chinese dishes, Broccoli, Tomatoes, Carrots, and yellow Onions aren’t typically found in actual Chinese restaurants. Because these foods aren’t Vegetables Native to China. Did you know that?
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
