Doughnuts, a beloved fried or baked good made from leavened dough, are enjoyed in countless forms across the globe. While often associated with a hole in the center, this sweet snack takes on a remarkable variety of shapes, fillings, and preparations depending on its regional origin. From savory versions to those steeped in cultural tradition, the doughnut's international presence showcases a rich tapestry of culinary creativity and local preferences.
Asian Doughnut Delights
In Asia, doughnuts manifest in numerous unique ways. Vietnamese cuisine offers several varieties, including *bánh tiêu*, a hollow, sesame-topped, deep-fried pastry that can be enjoyed on its own or filled with a gelatinous cake called *bánh bò*. Southern Vietnam features *bánh cam*, a ball-shaped, deep-fried pastry coated in sesame seeds and filled with mung bean paste. Its Northern Vietnamese counterpart, *bánh rán*, is similar but distinguished by a sugar glaze applied after frying and a jasmine essence in its mung bean paste filling.Thailand contributes *pa thong ko*, also known as Thai donuts, which are a version of the Chinese *yiu ja guoy* or *youtiao*. These small, sometimes X-shaped doughnuts are a popular breakfast item, often sold by street vendors and enjoyed with hot Thai tea. In China, long, deep-fried doughnut sticks called *yóutiáo* (meaning "oil strips" in Mandarin) or *yàuhjagwái* ("ghosts fried in oil" in Cantonese) are lightly salted and frequently served with congee, a traditional rice porridge, or soy milk for breakfast. Another Chinese variety is *shuangbaotai*, which consists of two conjoined balls of dough, offering a chewy texture.
Cambodia's traditional doughnut, *nom kong*, is named after its wheel-like shape. This sweet pastry is made from jasmine rice flour dough, deep-fried, and then drizzled with palm sugar toffee and sprinkled with sesame seeds, giving it a chewy texture. This particular doughnut is noted as the inspiration for Cambodian-American entrepreneur Ted Ngoy, who built a doughnut empire in the United States.
Filipino and Indian Interpretations
The Philippines boasts a rich array of native doughnut recipes. *Shakoy* or *siyakoy* from the Visayas islands, also known as *lubid-lubid* in the northern Philippines, features dough twisted into a distinctive rope-like shape before frying. While typically sprinkled with white sugar, variants can also be topped with sesame seeds or caramelized sugar, and some are made from glutinous rice flour, resulting in textures ranging from soft and fluffy to sticky and chewy, or even hard and crunchy (*pilipit*). *Kumukunsi*, a *jalebi*-like native doughnut from the Maguindanao people, is made with rice flour, duck eggs, and sugar, molded into rope-like strands, and fried in a loose spiral, offering a creamy pancake-like taste and consistency. *Binangkal* are simple fried dough balls covered in sesame seeds.In India, the sweet *gulgula* consists of sweetened, deep-fried flour balls, with or without a leavening agent. A savory, fried, ring-shaped snack called *vada* is often referred to as the Indian doughnut, though it is made from dal, lentil, or potato flours rather than wheat flour. In North India, *dahi-vada* is a bulging disc soaked in curd, sprinkled with spices and vegetables, and topped with chutney. South Indian *vada* is typically eaten with sambar and coconut chutney. Sweet pastries similar to old-fashioned doughnuts include *badushahi* (or *balushahi*), which are dense, ring-shaped (though the center well doesn't go all the way through), deep-fried in clarified butter, and dipped in sugar syrup. *Jalebi*, typically pretzel-shaped, is made by deep-frying batter and soaking it in sugar syrup, with a variant called *imarti* arranged in a geometric pattern around a small central ring.
European Doughnut Traditions
Europe also presents a wide spectrum of doughnut varieties. In Austria, *Krapfen* are popular, especially during Carnival season. These are solid, not ring-shaped, and typically filled with apricot jam or vanilla cream. *Bauernkrapfen* are another variant with a thick outer ring and a very thin middle. Belgium offers *smoutebollen* (Dutch) or *croustillons* (French), similar to Dutch *oliebollen* but usually without fruit, except for occasional apple chunks, and coated with powdered sugar.Czech *koblihy* are solid, jelly-filled doughnuts, often with strawberry or apricot jam, and can also be filled with nougat or vanilla custard. Germany's *Berliner* (or *Pfannkuchen* in Berlin and surrounding areas) are also solid, jam-filled doughnuts, popular during Carnival. A ring-shaped variant called *Kameruner* is common in Berlin and eastern Germany. In Greece, *loukoumas* are spherical, honey-syrup-soaked doughnuts, often served with cinnamon and walnuts or sesame seeds. Hungarian *fánk* is a light, yeast-raised pastry, usually served with powdered sugar and *lekvar*.
Italian doughnuts include *ciambelle*, *krapfen* from Trentino-Alto Adige, *zeppole* from Calabria and Campania, *maritozzi* from Latium, and *bomboloni* from Tuscany. Sardinia has a unique ring cake called *lorica*. In the Netherlands, *oliebollen* are fritters, often with raisins or currants, sprinkled with powdered sugar, and traditionally eaten during New Year celebrations. Polish *pączki* are round, jam-filled doughnuts, known since the Middle Ages, and have evolved to be lighter and spongier. Portugal's *malasada* is a holeless fried dough, popular in Hawaii and Cape Cod due to Portuguese immigrants. Romanian *gogoși* are fried dough balls similar to filled doughnuts, often stuffed with chocolate, jam, or cheese and dusted with icing sugar. Russian *ponchiki* or *pyshki* are popular sweet doughnuts, often sphere-shaped and deep-fried. Spanish *rosquillas* or *rosquetes* are traditional pastries made from fermented dough, fried or baked, and vary greatly by region and season, often being denser and less sweet than U.S.-style doughnuts. The *churro*, a ribbed cylinder of deep-fried dough, is also a popular Spanish sweet pastry.
