Back in Time is ED’s newspaper type column that reports an incident from the past as though it has happened just yesterday. It allows the reader to re-live it several years later, on the date it had occurred.
For this incident, we go back in time to June 1847.
Maine, June 23nd 1847: The shores of New England’s Maine aren’t unfamiliar to the happenings of the sea. Last evening, Captain Hanson Gregory was out sailing the waves of the Atlantic when a storm hit his starboard and he made an unprecedented discovery.
15-year-old Captain Hanson Crockett Gregory is a resident of the Clam Cove district of Maine. Gregory’s mother Elizabeth is a passionate cook and enjoys baking Dutch delicacies.
Last evening that is on 22nd June 1984, when Captain Gregory left his home with a bunch of his mother’s handmade Dutch oil-cakes, he wasn’t sure what he going to achieve. Gregory explained how he loved his mother’s deep-fried cakes but dismayed at the central undercooked part of the confectionary.
As soon as the treacherous waves hit Gregory’s ship, his oil-cake tipped over from his hand and impaled onto the steering wheel of the ship introducing a hole in the gooey, uncooked center.
The idea seems to be an interesting approach to deal with the undesired central part of the Dutch confectionery.
Also Read: Back in Time to November 1621: First Thanksgiving Is Celebrated In America
Post- Scriptum: Coming to 2017, Doughnuts are one of the most common confectionaries around the globe. There are a total 11 billion donuts made every year in the US alone.
While the actual confectionary was developed by the Dutch, it was Captain Hanson Gregory who is responsible for the trademark hole in the pastry which is what it’s famous for.
Even the name doughnut came along due to the cavity in the central part of the pastry. In 1916, Captain Gregory gave an interview to the Washington Post, confirming his discovery of the doughnut hole. His mother then sent several of these oil-cakes to markets where they garnered smashing popularity. And, doughnuts as we know it, were born.
On the 100th anniversary of Gregory’s invention, a bronze plaque honoring the Captain was placed in his hometown. The residents of his hometown still celebrate doughnut feasts in celebration of his legacy.
Soon after the World War I, the automatic machine that could quickly multiply the production of donuts was invented by a New York businessman named Adolph Levitt. Consequently, the popularity of the pastry skyrocketed.
Doughnuts in India haven’t achieved the widespread popularity as they have in the U.S. but it is still rising. Internationally renowned doughnut chains such as Dunkin’ Donuts, Mad over Donuts and Krispy Kreme deserve their fair share in the popularity of the pastry in the Indian subcontinent.
Nowadays, doughnuts come in all shapes and sizes. There are square doughnuts, heart-shaped, cream-filled and the list goes on.
Whatever be the type, I love those mouth-watering pastries like anything!
So happy munching!
Image Credits: Google Images
Would you like to share your opinion and discuss more on the matter? Then add us on Snapchat and we could hit up an interesting conversation. Click the link below to add ED Times on Snapchat.
ED – The Youth Blog on Snapchat
If you liked reading this, you might wanna check out:
