Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Plane Rides and donuts

Hey all,

I head back to San Diego early tomorrow morning. The four books I jammed into my purse should hold me over on the flight, but I covet your prayers all the same. :)

But until I get a chance to write again, I want to leave you with a question which was inspired my friend who will remain Steve Praz. :)

A few of my friends and I were walking around Philadelphia (best city ever, might I add even though a good cup of hot chocolate is at times hard to find :) and Praz asked us this amazingly thought-provoking question...

"Guys, why do you think that donuts have holes in the middle of them?"

We were stumped. After a minute of thinking, some answers were tossed around, but no one could confidently say why donuts have holes...

So, what do you think? Are the holes in donuts for decoration, for a better grip, or something else? Don't be shy; I'm really curious of your thoughts, and no cheating... ;)

Kristen.

23 comments:

Anonymous said...

They were just designed that way.

Anonymous said...

I'm stumped:-? But maybe, maybe it is so you can put it on a stick:-) How's that? Marmie Praz you coming over?

Anonymous said...

All round nuts have holes in them. The hex head nut, the wing nut and now the doughnut. A round object with a threaded (usually) center to screw on a bolt or screw as a fastener.

Unknown said...

I was never a fan of eating donuts. They are just too sweet for me which results in me getting a tummy-ache. :( However, I do wish I was a passionate donut-eater.

However, to answer your question, I believe donuts have holes in them for spacing reasons. Since the donut is a circle with a big hole in it it thus reduce the fattening and unhealthiness of eating a donut. Had the donut been a complete holeless circle, it would have been more of a guilty pleasure which in turn would have people idolize the item more resulting in them realizing their sin and thus having to withdraw from eating the donut.

Those are my thoughts, what are yours?

Nicole 妮可 said...

wow.
profound.
i think back to my days w/ the donut man and think that it was God-inspired that donuts have holes.
that being a way for Him to remind us what our lives would be like without him...void at the core!
ok,ok, please stay seated... i know that's just as profound! :)
love ya girl!

Nicole 妮可 said...

ps. my sympathies to jason that he's not enjoyed the finer delicacies of life with us.
oh well. maybe someday.

Anonymous said...

how else are you going to have munchkins aka donut holes?

Anonymous said...

So when it's done cooking in the grease, you can pull it out with the donut puller

Anonymous said...

So you can get it out of the toaster easier. Don't use the fork:-)

Nathan said...

Making the donut a ring gives more surface area for glaze, icing, etc.! Without the hole, you have a greater dough-to-sugar ratio. :-)

Anonymous said...

Mabe so people on diets can have a "lower" calarie bite (:)

Anonymous said...

B/c the founder of donuts knew that one day he would be able to market "donut holes" aka munchkins quite successfully.

Anonymous said...

Maybe they were meant to by "holy"!

ASR said...

There are actually two reasons. The first and most important is so that you can hold multiple donuts on your finger (very convenient). The second reason is that the donut cooks better in the middle because of the extra surface from the holes. (a total guess).

Anonymous said...

As a great philosipher once said, "Donuts!! Is there anything they can't do"

Homer Simpson

Michelle said...

um, clearly they have holes so the donut man can sing that amazing and immortal song:

"life without jesus is like a donut, like a donut, like a donut, life without jesus is like a doNUT, cause there's a hole in the middle of your heart."

Peter Pray said...

I hadn’t responded because I gave my answer when you asked it that day, but I have a few observations:
1. Alan is very smart, knows what he’s talking about and is obviously correct.
2. Doug c gets an honorable mention and my friendship because he quoted The Simpsons.
3. Michelle is obviously crazy; I think she made that song up.

Anonymous said...

Fantasies about nuts, calories, and the donut man aside, there is a perfectly logical reason for this seemingly unexplained phenomenon. The hole allows the donut to cook faster and more thoroughly. Period.

I'd say this is a good thing, preserving our health and psyche from the trauma of consuming soggy, undercooked lumps of dough. Keep in mind, however, that not all donuts have holes (ie bearclaw, bars, twists etc.)

Anonymous said...

Because God ordained it that way :-)

Anonymous said...

"The hole is for mice to fit through." -Jessie (age 5)

Anonymous said...

"It is so you can use them as glasses..." -Dylan (age 3)

Anonymous said...

I agree with Michelle.
The Donut Man would have no career without holes in the donuts.

And for the record, that is a real song!

Nate Pache said...

The question as to why doughnuts have holes has been raised by dozens of bakers over the years, but most agree that the answer to this sticky question lies in the fact that the interior of these fried cakes would not cook fully without a hole in the center. In short, the consistency of a doughnut lacking a hole would be, quite simply, doughy.

Another riveting theory as to the origin of the bulls eye in the doughnut holds that a sea captain named Hanson Gregory, while manning his post one stormy night, found it impossible both to steer his vessel and to eat his fried cake. Out of sheer frustration, and probably out of hunger, he impaled his cake over one of the spokes of the ship's wheel, thereby creating a finger hold with which to grip the cake. Quite pleased with his ingenuity, Mr. Gregory ordered the galley's cook to fry the cakes in that manner henceforth.