Doughnut: A Global History

Description

Doughnuts, those deep-fried pieces of dough, have powerful associations with nostalgia, irreverence and playfulness. Treasured around the world, they are known by many names including loukoumades, ponchiki, beignets and oliebollen. Doughnut: A Global History takes the reader on a fast-paced journey through the story of this iconic food, from prehistory, ancient Egypt and Rome to medieval Europe and the Renaissance to Krispy Kremes and today's artisan creations. Heather Hunwick's meticulously researched and highly entertaining study explores doughnuts' impact on arts and culture, including the many fads, fashions and controversies they have endured.

Reviews

"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    (JC BookGrocer)

Author description

Heather Hunwick is a food consultant with formal qualifications in nutrition, professional cookery, business and food history, all reflecting her deep commitment to all facets of food.