Let’s Celebrate the Donut.
On this day, history remembers Hanson Gregory, a Maine sailor, who reportedly invented the ring doughnut while working as a 16-year-old crew member on a lime-trading schooner. According to the New York Times, he rose to second mate at 19, mate at 21 and master mariner at 25. He sailed in all kinds of vessels from the lime coaster to a full-rigged ship.
But the donut made him famous. At the time, doughnuts were often dense and undercooked in the center. Gregory experimented with cutting a hole in the middle of the dough, either inspired by skewering a cake on a ship’s wheel during a storm or intentionally to solve the problem of raw centers, resulting in the evenly cooked, iconic ring shape. His innovation provided the blueprint for the modern doughnut, marking the birth of a culinary icon.
Gregory described his process in a 1916 interview with the Washington Post, explaining, “Now in them days we used to cut the doughnuts into diamond shapes, and also into long strips, bent in half, and then twisted,” he said. “I don’t think we called them donuts then–they was just ‘fried cakes’ and ‘twisters.’ Well, sir, they used to fry all right around the edges, but when you had the edges done the insides was all raw dough. And the twisters used to sop up all the grease just where they bent, and they were tough on the digestion.”[1]
The term “doughnut” itself evolved later, combining “dough” with “nut,” likely referencing the small, round size of the original treats. Over time, doughnut rings became a staple in bakeries and coffee shops, inspiring countless variations in flavors, fillings, and toppings. Today, Hanson Gregory’s contribution is celebrated as a pivotal moment in culinary history, marking the transformation of a simple fried cake into the beloved ring doughnut.
Alas! “Despite this commonly accepted story, the origins of the donut are likely more complex, with multiple inventors contributing to its evolution over time. What is certain is that the donut has become a beloved symbol of indulgence, a versatile canvas for flavors and toppings, and an enduring part of America’s culinary heritage”.[2]
[1] www.foodtimeline.org
[2] historycooperative.org/who-invented-donuts/
