A Brief History of Doughnuts

"On October 19th 1917 The first doughnut is fried by Salvation Army volunteer women for American troops in France during World War I."—This Day in History

The above statement falls under some degree of suspicion as cultures around the world have practiced frying pastries for centuries. Making the origin of the idea nearly impossible to trace. Regardless, the Salvation Army can take a great deal of credit—as they do on their website—for popularizing the doughnut among Americans. Following the Great War doughnuts gained near iconic popularity in the United States. Doughnuts became associated with all facets of American society as they began to appear at church functions, office meetings, and social gatherings of all kinds. Shops sprang up across the country to provide for Americans appetite for the soft, sugary treat.

Almost a hundred years since the “first” doughnut was fried Americans relationship with food has changed dramatically. The American diet developed based upon a highly agrarian -and then later industrial- society. The demands of physical labor lead to a diet rich in fat, sugar, protein, and high in calories. As an increasingly large percentage of the population now hold white-collar jobs, the American diet is progressively in conflict with the sedentary lifestyle of most modern Americans.

In addition the very nature of how our food is prepared, packaged, and delivered has changed. During the 1950s commercial manufactures of doughnuts began to emerge, replacing independent bakers. The mass production of these soft, sugary, pastries posed logistical problems for commercial distribution. In order to create a product with a longer “shelf-life,” that could withstand shipping to newly established grocery chains, manufactures began to use hydrogenated vegetable oils. The process of hydrogenation creates fat solids, which helps fried breads retain their shape, and lasts substantially longer than unhydrogenated oils. Fat solids created in this way have been linked to heart disease, high cholesterol, and obesity. So the very composition of what we eat has been altered, although it appears largely the same.

In December, 2006 New York City Board of Health voted to phase out artificial trans fats from New York City Restaurants. The response was mixed. Some applauded the measure. Others begrudge the new regulations. To spite this, years later the move has been hailed as a success and other areas of the country have followed suit. The decision of the board represented a shift in the nations conscious, sending ripple effects through the food service industry. Corporations began to espouse their commitment to the public's well being, and promised to change their recipes.

Despite much posturing little has really changed. A simple glazed doughnut at Krispy Kreme has 200 calories. Dunkin’ Donuts glazed doughnut contains 220 calories. Starbucks website states boldly that you the customer will “be happy to know that your favorite Starbucks foods not only taste better, they are better. We’ve taken out artificial ingredients to leave room for more real goodness. Our new recipes contain, no artificial flavors, no artificial trans fats, no artificial dyes, [and] no high-fructose corn syrup.” Implying that their products are substantially better for you than those of their competitors. According to the nutrition information the company provides, Starbucks glazed doughnut contains a whopping 420 calories.

The doughnut is of course not wholly responsible for such things as increased cholesterol, heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. The doughnut is merely a symbolic component of the broader American struggle to understand our own cravings and patterns of consumption. The doughnut is as inextricably entangled with the future of Americans' health and well-being as it has been to its history, at home and overseas. The events which will play out over the coming decades will redefine the next generations relationship to this iconic American sweet.