The Working Man's Doughnut

[@SwitchelSweets]

It seems like nearly every culture in history has just instinctively thought to fry dough in fat, and I think that’s wonderful

[@Hato1992]

Well, every culture discovers frying at some point, also bread. So it is early discovery after people started to farm grains.

[@sailorknightwing]

Fried dough, dumplings, and alcohol have existed in almost every culture, how similar we all are!

[@mbern4530]

@@Hato1992 Not all, some never discover pottery so have no way of frying their foods.

[@Hato1992]

@@mbern4530 Well yes, but if they farm wheat, they also discover pottery. Only hunter-gatherer tribes don't do that, since they don't grow grains.

[@xostler]

@@mbern4530why can’t they fry on a rock? They can’t deep fry sure, but you could fry on a concave rock.

[@DieLuftwaffel]

There is a museum in Miles City MT with what they claim is the oldest surviving doughnut in the world. The story is that a mother made a bunch for her son to take with him as a soldier in the Civil War (1860s). One doughnut hardened and fell to the bottom of his pack, unnoticed until long after the war when it became a family heirloom and then was donated to this little museum. It's the star attraction I would say.

[@DieLuftwaffel]

By the way it is the circular shape with hole in the middle.

[@stickychocolate8155]

But how did it survive without food and water?

[@matt5889]

Similar story when I went to the police academy. Had fruit in my athletic bag stored away for a couple years. They just got kinda petrified and wrinkled. Needless to say I didn’t put them in a museum.

[@DieLuftwaffel]

@@stickychocolate8155 How did a piece of fried pastry live without eating and drinking? What?!

[@MesaperProductions]

I don't care if this is true, it's true to me!

[@otte940]

This man is the face of "if you love what you do you never work a day in your life"

[@samgyeopsal569]

@synfiguringhe needs green eggs and ham

[@jollygrapefruit786]

The most enviable position in life.

[@tiffanynichol7765]

Literally me watching these videos: I have to show this to my kids when I tell them that they "can be anything they want to be" so that they understand what I really mean.

[@bernardzamostny3382]

My grandfather was a child in the Austro-hungarian empire was selected by his school master to go on a hunt with the "King" (Frans Joseph?). He and other children beat the fields from sun up to sun down to chase the game to the king and his hunting party. His reward for the all day long field work was a chocolate doughnut.

[@NicolaeCarpathia420]

This is such a ridiculous story that I’m glad for the existence of Franz Ferdinand.

[@bernardzamostny3382]

What's ridiculous? My grand father was born in 1895 just outside of Prague in a small town called Oswice (Not sure of the spelling) which has since been overtaken by Prague's urban sprawl. This event probably took place in 1902 -1905 when my grandfather was 7-10 years old. By the time my grand father was 14 years old in 1914 my Great grandfather sent him to America by himself possibly to avoid the Austrian draft as the "Arms Race" was escalating between Germany, France and England and the winds of war were stirring.

[@scoutbane1651]

By doughnut I assume you mean a berliner/krapfen not what americans usually think of as doughnuts, right?

[@beth12svist]

​@@scoutbane1651 Well, since we're in Czechia, what he means is a kobliha. 😁 (Yes, it is, I think, identical to those.)

[@samwisegamgee8318]

Wow, no wonder the kings got overthrown in Europe. Probably less than an hours wage for those kids.

[@bvd7517]

Donuts for dinner: Every five year-old's dream.

[@charles-y2z6c]

With an Ice Cream appetizer

[@Nope-vb2jz]

Dinner was at noon in 1750

[@TheLordOfNothing]

@@Nope-vb2jz I still say "supper."

[@Nope-vb2jz]

It would be nice if people would pick one and stick to it 😂

[@shireboundscribbles]

And some 55 year olds, too.

[@freedpeeb]

Making doughnuts on a cold, snowy morning! What could be better? Thank you for the pockets of calm your videos provide.

[@jillianromick]

"Pockets of calm" is a perfect way to describe Jon and co.'s work. I am borrowing this phrase!

[@craigchapman234]

I love this series, the working man. History should never be lost .

[@-cody_]

i remember reading "Farmer Boy" a lot as a kid and they would constantly reference donuts as a staple part of the extravagant breakfasts that the mother would prepare for the family. as a kid that always sounded so luxurious, the way that i pictured the donuts lol

[@53prime]

We have a treat breakfast called dough boys that are basically doughnuts. Just the dough is a bit less sweet.

[@cristiewentz8586]

Yes, but not those new fangled one with a hole 😅

[@KathyPrendergast-cu5ci]

I love that book, like all the Laura Ingalls Wilder books. Yes, the hardworking Wilder farm kids in that book are extremely well-fed! In the very first chapter, Wilder lovingly describes the lunch the two boys and two girls bring to school, which includes fresh donuts and homemade apple turnovers.

[@JacobAlbano]

@@cristiewentz8586 imagine making the ones with a hole! the straight ones flip themselves over, much more sensible

[@hollerinwoman]

@@JacobAlbano Yes! In her book Farmer Boy, Laura writes how, as a small boy, Almanzo would watch his mother make doughnuts, and that she had a special way of twisting them so they would flip themselves over as they fried. Such an observant child, that Almanzo!

[@lcky2993]

This recipe is called 'rain cakes' where I live. It is pretty common to eat when it is raining. Cold and rainy days are rather rare, so when they appear, most of the time we make some rain cakes and coffee for lunch. Mixing with cocoa or plain chocolate powder can easily make a delicious dish for lunch.

[@juanplopes]

Are you Brazilian? That's how we call it here, "Bolinho de Chuva", which translates to almost the same thing.

[@lcky2993]

@@juanplopes Isso mesmo, a única forma de expressar que consegui pensar, não é muito simples de traduzir já que o nome pode ter vindo de outra fonte, portanto a relação entre o prato e a chuva pode não ser tão direta. Talvez Rainy cakes? Não parece não tão melhor já que "Rainy" virou adjetivo e "de chuva" implica origem/relação próxima.

[@lpchaim]

I'd go with rain dumplings myself, seems non Brazilians usually call them either that or just fritters

[@sophroniel]

When I grew up, every New Year's Eve an old dutch couple at my church made "olibollen", round donut balls with sultanas. The wife passed 10 years ago, and I still remember these so fondly.

[@LetsTakeWalk]

Oliebollen are still eaten around New Year.

[@hansmemling2311]

Us Belgians call them oliebollen when fried in oil and smoutebollen when fried in animal fat. We usually eat them at the fair when there is one in town.

[@ericdpeerik3928]

If you hit the Netherlands around December, you can eat as many oliebollen as you like (or as your body will digest before shutting down 😂). Alternatively, Google a recipe. They're still common food.

[@seronymus]

I would actually love a pastry shop that bakes colonial era goods like this, eepecially those donuts/fritters! 🍩 More people should use ginger and allspice too.

[@oakmaiden2133]

I would love a local bakery of any period. Store goods are so full of chemicals for shelf stability. I started making my own loaves and tortillas. They taste better and I give them to my chickens when they start to mold. Fresh ginger is always on my counter!

[@Granad784]

You don't have a local bakery or baker?​@@oakmaiden2133

[@ericv00]

Allspice is my secret ingredient in everything that doesn't already call for allspice.

[@tomcurran8470]

I know that Mr. Townsend has been to Old Salem in Winston, NC. The Moravians have a bakery there that has traditional baked goods. The Moravians in NC came from the Lehigh County, Bucks County (where I grew up) area.

[@reginaldforthright805]

@@ericv00and for recipes that do call for allspice, you substitute egg yolks

[@mohsenfelifl8362]

In Holland we call this oliebollen, oil balls, and we eat them at old years eve. It is a dough with yeast and raisins and currents

[@stickychocolate8155]

That's really interesting. I'm from an American Mennonite family and we have a similar food we call "New Years Cookies". We eat them on special occasions not just New Years. Ours contain just raisins and are glazed instead of dusted with sugar. Our ancestors came from Germany and Switzerland though.

[@m.a.6478]

The first time ever I had oliebollen was in a township in Namibia. They were cooked plain, then filled with meat and onions. It's a savory snack they sell at markets.

[@Njuregen]

They heated in oil as well and are centuries old here, so similar to Oliekoeken (oil cakes) or maybe the same in a sense.

[@Junzar56]

Good example! Check my comment!

[@enchiladaguapo3869]

Interesting because in my family the tradition is to only make ole bollen on New Year's. Any other time is bad juju. The strange connections and curious nature of our traditions and culture.

[@SchwarzeBananen]

"Peppernuts" is still a popular Christmas biscuit in parts of Germany, made with spices, not actually pepper. It is more like a walnut size gingerbread ball.

[@gaylescovel7308]

Wow! That sounds delicious! Is that recipe on the internet?

[@yltraviole]

​​@@gaylescovel7308 Recipe for the Dutch variant, pepernoten: 250 grams self rising flour 125 grams dark brown sugar 100 grams cold butter 6 spoons of milk Dash of salt Spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, ginger, clove, white pepper (optional), anise (optional). Heavy on the cinnamon.) Mix dry ingredients. Add butter and milk and mix until it's a solid dough. Roll into little balls, with about the circumference of a coin. (They're supposed to be really small as far as cookies go.) Bake them for 25 minutes in an oven pre-heated to 175 degrees celsius. You know they're done when they're crispy throughout. They're delicious on their own, or covered in a layer of dark chocolate.

[@SIC647]

And a compulsory part of Christmas in Denmark too

[@taoisttiger4702]

I absolutely love peffernuese

[@gaylescovel7308]

@@yltraviole , thankyou❣

[@LyneaFlynn]

We still have a baked good at Christmas called "Pfeffernüsse", pepper nuts, in Germany.

[@tirididjdjwieidiw1138]

which is probably closely related to pepernoten which we have in the netherlands around sinterklaas

[@stickychocolate8155]

We also eat these in my American Mennonite family around Christmas.

[@tomcurran8470]

Also a favorite in Pennsylvania Dutch (German) cuisine.

[@tomcurran8470]

​@@stickychocolate8155I grew up around Mennonites in Bucks County, PA and had lots of good food.

[@billd8167]

Mmmmmmmgood

[@stephanpopp6210]

The German word is Ölkuchen = oil cakes. The small doughnuts go by the name of "Baked Mice" here in Vienna. They are commonly sold at Christmas markets now.

[@suides4810]

Dont you mean Quarkbällchen.

[@BluejThompson]

I make donuts every Sunday and as I rolling out my brioche you post this and my heart was just so full thank you!

[@God_D_Nika]

Absolutely love your channel! It made me appreciate modern cuisine and variety of foods even more. Thanks for amazing content

[@KLGChaos]

As a bker for 25 years, I made a lot of donuts and fritters early in my career. There are yeast-raised donuts, which make things like your glazed and filled donuts (Boston Creme, Strawberry, etc) and Cake Donuts, which are a batter (Apple Cider and Sour Cream donuts). We had a special hopper that would drop the batter as a ring shape into the oil. We made Apple Fritters as well, but used the yeast-raised dough mixed with apples and cinnamon, instead of the batter.

[@LordBrittish]

I’ve managed a big bakery on a busy Saturday morning. Really makes me wonder if their bakeries back in the day had lines out the door on certain days.

[@chrish9698]

As a Canadian I appreciate a video about the ancestor of the donut!! Great work and wonderful research! 👍

[@tomcurran8470]

Tim Horton invented the donut, LOL. Greetings from Mayberry, NC.

[@Richard-or2km]

Doughnut holes aka timbits 😉. Andy and Opie land, huh?@@tomcurran8470

[@gtbkts]

Thank you guys for all the amazing content and great videos you make!

[@asahearts1]

Making some of those tube biscuits as donuts later. Just use a bottle top to cut a hole and shallow fry them in a pan and top or fill them with chocolate syrup or whatever. Lifehacks

[@asahearts1]

@@dejuren1367 A donut is a biscuit with a hole. When you use Pillsbury Grands (like flaky biscuit) they are more cronut than donut, though. Bear in mind they are moister, softer and fluffier when you fry them than if you bake them.

[@wireycoyote3544]

Ohhhhh, HOW have I not seen your channel before this?!?! Digging this so far!

[@truepeacenik]

Welcome!

[@inplumbumnosfides3883]

I can just imagine how the scent of those spices and sugary dough frying would have been a welcome change from the smokey, sooty smell of an 18th or 19th century kitchen. Now I have to make fritters. Thanks John!

[@mraaronhd]

I believe the Washington Irving story John is talking about that first mentions the word “Doughnut” is “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”. It’s when Ichabod was invited to Katrina Van Tassel’s family’s fall frolic. There is a huge spread that includes food like ham and beef, and sweets like pies, cakes, and of course, doughnuts.

[@fugithegreat]

I love Washington Irving's description of that party. You really just want to be there to taste every single dish!

[@dwaynewladyka577]

One of my grandmothers made homemade doughnuts. They were so good. Homemade pastry is awesome. Cheers!

[@bonniechance2357]

My mother made them, too. We usually ended up with six or more dozen, but, man, were they good. Unfortunately, I lost the recipe during one of my moves.😮‍💨

[@rcastelo2182]

This sounds a lot like a snack we have in Brazil, it's called "bolinho de chuva" (little rain cake). The way is prepared is pretty similar, but, instead of ginger, we coat the cake with sugar and cinnamon. Tastes like childhood.

[@terryt.1643]

Dough Nuts the origin of our modern term. Round of dough fried in fat. Fried dough is found in every culture around the world. Loved this video. 🥰💕❤️👍👍

[@maxhammick948]

It's interesting to once again see an old recipe with such a large batch recommended. Cooking and eating back then was a far more communal experience than today

[@terryt.1643]

Farm families and their workers were larger back in the day, too. My grandmother had eleven kids. She died in childbirth, my grandpa remarried and had five more…

[@ifyouloveChristyouwillobeyhim]

Poor woman. Your grandpa sounds like a really cool man Thanks for sharing. @@terryt.1643

[@heathboeddeker5401]

That because they also knew what Family meant. That is one thing that has been lost to alot of People in this day and age.

[@jlennon1779]

I grew up with corn fritters and cider doughnuts in the 1960's and 70's because Mom loved us and fed us well. My brother still has Grandma's hand written "receipt book" with a pinch of this and a scoop of that. ❤

[@renmuffett]

To be historically authentic, a working man during that time period would not have been eating a doughnut made with white flour. Getting white flour was so expensive and tine consuming to create, only the richest of the rich could afford it. When flour was called for in the oldest of recipe books, they meant actual whole grain flour unless stated otherwise. The instructions would suggest sifting it and that was to remove some of the bran & germ.

[@KathyPrendergast-cu5ci]

Sifting it would be a shame as it would remove the most nutritious parts of the flour! But yeah, it seems there's long been this preference for white refined flour and light, fluffy-textured bread. The British almost went mad during the war rationing years because there was no white bread to be had - or even white flour to bake it with - for love or money. Because no food could be imported, British wartime law dictated every part of harvested wheat grains had to be used when making flour, so there was no waste. The British absolutely hated the whole-grain "National Loaf" which was literally the only kind of bread they could get in the bakeries; they actually called it "Hitler's Secret Weapon". It was sold in standard, unsliced loaves (sliced bread hadn't come in yet) and was one of the few foods that wasn't rationed. So there was always plenty of it, which just added insult to injury. There was no butter or jam (no sugar to sweeten it with) and very little meat or cheese, so not much they could put on it to make it taste better. But it kept them alive, by God! It was definitely very nutritious, but most British people by 1939, even the poorest people, just weren't used to whole-wheat bread and found the taste and texture appalling. I can kind of understand why, by the time war rationing ended, most Brits never wanted to see wholewheat bread again for as long as they lived.

[@JacobafJelling]

Would have love to see this dish made with darker flour

[@stephenwilliams1364]

Yes....and back home in Massachusetts we have Clam Cakes 😃 But seriously my grandfather’s family came from Belgium and were pastry chefs so we grew up with all of these and different types of sauces....love the show and the nuances of Colonial history ❤️

[@dianebondhus9355]

I love the working man's series. ❤ The food items are usually easier to prepare.

[@justinthrun4627]

I love to watch your videos before bed the history/cooking teachings is relaxing

[@theannoyingguy1840]

You're one of the few people I subscribed to last year and I gotta say your content is phenomenal it's enjoyable to watch while also learning something

[@shaomin86]

I appreciate the taste commentary showing up at the end for once. With all the recipes on the channel, I can't remember John telling us about texture and flavor after eating much.

[@allfields]

Best served with coffee ☕️

[@AnimalBlundetto]

Nice haircut bro

[@SpacePatrollerLaser]

You should try a Portuguese melasada, which name literally means "roast honey" though it is actually fried and uses sugar and Portuguese spices

[@tomcurran8470]

I had these in East Bay, Rhode Island. Lots of Azore Portuguese there.

[@karynnelson1497]

❤️❤️❤️

[@gregorycosta1043]

It's a quintessential part of the church fundraisers in the Portuguese parishes in MA.

[@SpacePatrollerLaser]

@@gregorycosta1043 Especially Fall River. While you are at it, you GOTTA try massa Sovada, bolos levada, Portuguese rice pudding, Cacoila and Chourico (preferably Gaspar's: They shop nationwide)

[@n4ughty_knight]

@@gregorycosta1043 Portuguese Church cuisine is the best!

[@mush822]

I wish this had released 40 minutes ago. I just finished baking I would've done this instead.

[@robzinawarriorprincess1318]

I love the thumbnail! You all are such a creative team.

[@SG-js2qn]

I appreciate this. I'd wondered about ginger nuts since reading Herman Melville in grade school a billion years ago.

[@feralbluee]

i love how enthusiastic you are. you just make people feel so good. i can’t wait to try these. in the country in N.Y. , we used to go apple picking to a wonderful orchard. we picked apples, got their cider, and ate their incredible doughnuts made in their kitchen, only they made them with apple cider - just deliscious. so i’m going to try that. i love the history of recipes. thanks so much, John 🍎🍩🍏🌻🍁

[@alexandersveryown4760]

I just discovered this channel and it's amazing. I can't explain why but the people who do the explaining have some sort of charm to them that makes what their saying interesting!

[@mrburns91]

When I was a kid I would read the Laura Ingalls books religiously. I always loved the part in Farmer Boy that talks about the doughnuts Almanzo's mother would make. They sounded amazing.

[@ronh.798]

Wow, I just had coffee and donuts, just a couple old fashioned.

[@tittoaugustus]

Intresting video, we brazilians have something more alike the old doughtnut recipe on our day to day basis, we call it "bolinho de chuva" that can be rough translated as rain little cakes. Its a more liquid batter with similar ingredients that are deep fried in hot oil and we cover with cystal sugar and sometimes cinnamon. Really popular in countrysides to enjoy with a black coffee on rainy days. I always tought of how these flavors seems too close, and this video gave me this insight.

[@Roy-vs5yj]

This is exactly what we have in the Netherlands, oil balls. We eat them with nothing in it or with raisins. Though we would not put sugar on them but powdered sugar. We eat these oil balls at New Years. Furthermore, the ginger nuts is something we still eat in the Netherlands during the holiday Sinterklaas, but since we added more spices we started calling them spiced nuts instead of ginger nuts. So fun to see the Dutch Influence in 18th century, though would like to see John mention the Dutch recipes a bit more.

[@aristotlecat]

Here in Argentina we have a fritter of german origin called "Bola de Fraile" (Fray Balls): It's round and generally filled with Dulce de Leche. Ideal to eat hot in a rainy day.

[@n4ughty_knight]

I've heard of similar fritters throughout Latin America. Very interesting.

[@crtmojo2705]

You are capturing and preserving history. People from all over the world will watch this for generations.

[@steveblake3141]

Interesting to hear they were part of a meal rather than a snack. Went to a Jamaican restaurant many years ago and they served two different doughnuts as sides, one sweet the other savoury. Had the savoury ones with a peppery jerked chicken and they made a fantastic side.

[@christabellelysander4392]

Wow! I love the setting of where the host is staying. So rustic!!

[@75egcg]

All able-bodied freemen of the 18th century had an inner Homer Simpson

[@LordBrittish]

Dough!

[@gamewatch6861]

Mmm, doughnuts.

[@carrow2250]

Looks like I’m making 18th century doughnuts tomorrow morning.

[@Thankful1998]

I don't remember my folks buying donuts. I do remember a special treat of fried bread, sprinkled with cinnamon sugar...yum!

[@KathyPrendergast-cu5ci]

In Canada we have a kind of large, deep fried flat bread that goes by different names; "elephant ears" and "whale's tails" are two of them. Often they're shaped into a kind of triangle, like naan bread. They're not sweet so you can put anything you want on them, depending on whether you want a savoury or sweet snack, from parmesan cheese to maple syrup. And yes, cinnamon sugar is divine, too. I think many Europeans, esp. Eastern Europeans like Hungarians, that are part of Canada's cultural mosaic introduced these kinds of breads; they come from days when most people didn't have an oven to bake breads at home but could still cook breads in other ways over an open fire or with some kind of stove.

[@atreidestm]

The fritters you made remind me of a very traditional snack our grannies make in Brazil called "Rain doughnuts" (it has this name because it is a tradition to make on rainy days). It´s basically the same liquid dough made with eggs, milk, flour, sugar, yeast, and a banana cut into thick slices and thrown into the dough. Then, using a spoon, we pick one slice at a time with part of the dough and immerse it in hot oil until it gets brown and floats. Finally, we remove it from the oil, strain it, put it on a plate, and sprinkle it with a mixture of sugar and cinnamon powder. 😋

[@Mersoh]

In the Netherlands we still make these today! They are called oliebollen

[@hayeonkim7838]

Thanks for informative and valuable video as always ❤❤❤

[@reallyfreakingoodvideogame468]

This channel rocks.

[@sbrunner69]

My "Omi" made "Olicokes" - 1979 - Long Branch, NJ - They came through Ellis island, from Germany, in 1939. Lovely memories.

[@SGM97B]

The Dutch (Netherlands Dutch, just to clear that up for Jeff) make Oilebollen, a ball of deep-fried dough. These have been made for hundreds of years. What you made first is similar to Pennsylvania Dutch Funnel Cakes. And yes Jeff, PA Dutch are of German and Swiss descent.

[@SephiMasamune]

I was about to say that ‘olie koken’ sounds very Dutch and that we still make Oliebollen around new years to this day. :)

[@mrdanforth3744]

@@SephiMasamune My Dutch grandmother made oelbollen at new year's. A soft yeast dough with slices of apple or bits of candied peel inside, deep fried in oil and sprinkled with powdered sugar, delicious with a cup of coffee.

[@JeffDeWitt]

Mmm... the Pennsylvania Dutch are German, not Dutch. Dutch in that usage came from "Deitsche", which means German. I suspect the Pennsylvania Dutch got their funnel cake idea from the real Dutch.

[@mrdanforth3744]

@@JeffDeWitt Interesting but my grandparents were Holland Dutch from Groeningen. Their oelbollen were the real thing.

[@SGM97B]

​@@mrdanforth3744I was stationed in The Netherlands twice, for a total of six years. I lived in the south, near Maastricht and worked for the Dutch Army. Great people, I have several friends there still.

[@CountryLifeEngland]

OMG! We still use that recipe today here in the U.K. You can make the mixture quite thick and they are lovely. The recipe for the dough is passed down through generations, it’s our culture.

[@baseder514]

man now I want to eat a donut!

[@mayyar]

I like your content and efforts in creating it 👌🏼

[@thcdreams654]

Keep up the good work homie.

[@davegilden6603]

Was surprised to hear Hertfordshire get a mention as a resident! I believe the county name has its roots in Saxon, Harts (male deer) river crossing - there is a lot of what would have been royal hunting estate including Hatfield House. I will have to try the recipe!

[@bobjoe7508]

The ginger nut piece is really interesting because the Dutch have Peppernoten and the Russian Mennonites have Pfeffernüsen which are somewhat similar to gingerbread dough (although usually much more spice heavy, and often with anise). I wonder if this is because of some Dutch and North German influence (or maybe Prussian too).

[@cherylbenton7107]

Corn fritters served with warm Vermont maple syrup were part of one of my most memorable childhood Thanksgiving meals, as a side dish not a dessert. That was decades ago, never had them since, but will always remember them fondly.

[@silvek99]

I'm really curious how the doughnuts taste with that pudding sauce

[@teknodopamine0479]

Sometimes when I'm feeling down I watch these videos and they make me feel a little better.

[@Wisdom-Nuggets-Tid-Bits]

I loved this show!! Thanks for the upload.

[@starpunzel]

I love the level of research you do for these topics!

[@karenblohm3279]

My granddaughter had donuts for her 2nd birthday yesterday. Good cake donuts.

[@sophroniel]

We still have famous biscuits (cookies) here in New Zealand called "Gingernuts"! They are very hard and crunchy and awesome!

[@carlsoll]

Yoooo this was *really* neat. Just checked out some of your other work, very cool channel. *subscribed*

[@timhartherz5652]

Saw the preview image, first thought: "quark balls" (literal translation, not sure how they are called in English), a tasty delicassy from fried dough often available at Christmas fairs around here. They're best fresh out of the oil with just a bit of sugar and spices like cinnamon added (careful hot).

[@KelleyHyde]

As I'm a fool for allspice and a fool for doughnuts i can picture quite a competition at the table those centuries ago "Gyles took my doughnut!""I didst not!"""Ohhh yes ye didst!"😂

[@DrMustacho]

Oliebollen en appelflappen (oil balls and apple flaps) dutch new year treats

[@cjxgraphics]

Hmmm. Now I want some beignets and apple fritters! ⚜🍎 I absolutely love this channel. Keep up the great work!

[@mitchellgreen3994]

Love this guy. Makes life a little better.

[@TM-ev2tc]

You should think about doing a video on the Donnybrook Fair.

[@tangydiesel1886]

My mother talked about her mother (my grandmother) making doughnuts for Sunday morning. They were poor enough that they ate some kind of cooked turnip or turnip soup at least once and sometimes twice a day in the winter, but every Sunday, they got doughnuts.

[@bethanya99]

My Great Great Grandmother's doughnut recipe is very similar to the second doughnut he made except it uses nutmeg instead of allspice and is tossed in sugar (sometimes cinnamon sugar) right after frying. I think i'll try the "Walnut" shape next time we make them.

[@TheScrootch]

In the Netherlands we have "oliebollen" which are pretty much fritters with raisins usually topped with powdered sugar afterwards. They are mostly eaten during new year's eve

[@Qopzeep]

Nice pronunciation of 'Oliekoeken', which is an old Dutch word for 'oil cakes'. We still make them in the Netherlands, but now they're called 'oliebollen', or oil spheres. They are either plain or cooked with currants/raisins in them, and always sprinkled with confectioner's sugar. It's the traditional sweet treat in the weeks leading up to the new year!

[@TheMichaellathrop]

I'm curious if there is a throughline between pudding sauces and a modern doughnut glaze, I can see how just upping the ratio of sugar could get you to the right consistency.

[@bc7138]

I had always considered doughnuts to be fairly modern. Never considered they existed for so long in different forms. Interesting and informative!

[@griffinjudy129]

Very good video!

[@Maceman486]

I remember my parents would make something similar every once in a while. I hadn't thought about them in a long time. Thank you.

[@thesmiths629]

We grew up eating these type of donuts. Fried biscuits with powdered sugar.

[@joanhoffman3702]

Our mother would make cake donuts with nutmeg. They disappeared fast!

[@davestelling]

My Mom made the same, fried in lard...delicious!

[@Cristal3]

I am Dutch-German. Olie koeken, which sounds more Dutch than German. However, given that Dutch-German borders changed a lot, and the languages are related, how sure are you about the origin of this recipe? Oliebollen, for example, are a huge deal in the Netherlands. Yet, Germans, generally, refer to that dish as "Krapfen".

[@rkoonce53]

Olieballen in Dutch. Still sold in the markets at Christmas and New Year.

[@jm9371]

Ancient doughnuts!... Funtastic video!

[@TommyEfreeti]

another yummy episode (except for maybe that part about eating doughnuts with fish pie). sweet stuff!🍩

[@nottotallysane3572]

That the "nut" in doughnut referred to the similarity to the size and shape of a nut had not occurred to me. I had assumed that the "nut" was derived from mechanical nuts, which are "doughnut" shaped, or toroidal (i.e. hollow in the middle).

[@NettiGaming]

What an enjoyable watch. Thank you

[@trishgreydanus7004]

Ollieballen in Dutch and still made for New Year's celebrations.

[@StrandedLifeform]

These look so delicious. It's interesting that today we think of donuts and fritters as a sweet (unhealthy) snack, but back then it was considered as a meal. I wonder if they would've made a version of hush puppies in that era too or if hush puppies came later.

[@shireboundscribbles]

Frittes are delicious. Over here we make potato fritters; sliced potato, dipped in batter, and then deep fried. Excellent as they are, but if you put some Worcestershire Sauce on them....oh they are SO good.

[@poimon5607]

we have this in turkey, its called pişti, its eaten with jam, honey or cheese