Who invented the donut hole and why?

Asked by: Luciano Farrell  |  Last update: October 18, 2023
Score: 4.2/5 (69 votes)

DONUT HOLE HISTORY
These doughnuts were the same shape and size as our modern donuts, but they weren't shaped like a ring. The honor of “hole inventor” seems to land with Hanson Gregory, an American sailor. Gregory, who went to sea eating “whole doughnuts”, and returned with “holed donuts.”

Why were doughnut holes invented?

One of the most popular credits American seafarer Hanson Gregory with inventing the donut's hole in 1847 while aboard a lime-trading ship. He was just 16 years old at the time. As the story goes, Gregory wasn't happy with the doughy consistency of the fried cakes served on the ship.

Who invented donut holes?

Statue of Captain Hanson Gregory, inventor of the donut hole : black-and-white photoprint. Smithsonian Institution.

Why is it called donut hole?

You can reincorporate the small circle into the rest of the dough and roll it out again, which is what people once did for the most part. But then some people decided to cook the part that was removed to make the hole in the doughnut - hence, the birth of the doughnut hole.

How did Hanson Gregory invent the donut?

A problem with those otherwise delicious cakes was that their centers were seldom fully cooked. In 1847, Gregory punched out the center of a cake. Now all the dough lay near the cooked surface, and he got a far more uniformly cooked doughnut.

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37 related questions found

What shape were donuts originally?

The dough was often somewhat sticky (additional flour toughened and masked the spicy and buttery flavors), and was dropped as blobs off the end of a spoon into hot rapeseed oil (canola). The resulting doughnuts took the form of irregular balls, at some point called oliebollen, or oil (fried) balls.

Who is Hansen Gregory?

Captain Hanson Crockett Gregory (1832-1921), the American seaman who claimed credit for inventing the hole in the middle of doughnuts. These dough balls were most likely the origin of the modern doughnut the oliebol (oily ball) or olykoek (oily cake) eaten by the Dutch.

When did donut hole start?

The donut hole, some spell it “doughnut,” was a part of Medicare's prescription drug benefit from its beginning in 2006, three years after Congress passed the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act.

Is the donut hole good or bad?

If you have a Medicare Part D prescription drug plan, there's a gap in coverage after you've spent a certain amount on covered drugs. In this Medicare "donut hole," you stop paying your plan's usual copays or coinsurance. Instead, you pay up to 25% of the cost of your covered drugs, which could get pretty expensive.

What is the donut hole in 2023?

You enter the donut hole when your total drug costs—including what you and your plan have paid for your drugs—reaches a certain limit. In 2023, that limit is $4,660. While in the coverage gap, you are responsible for a percentage of the cost of your drugs. How does the donut hole work?

What is the hole in the doughnut theory?

A new way of thinking about sustainable economics

How does it work? Imagine a classic doughnut (chocolate, strawberry or your favorite flavor) with a hole in the middle: the outside edge represents the ecological ceiling of our living environment while the inner circle represents the social foundation.

What is the correct name for donut holes?

(pastry ball the size of the hole in the center of a donut): munchkin (genericization of Munchkin) timbit (genericization of Timbit)

Why are donuts donut shaped?

Ultimately, reason doughnuts have holes in them because of the way they are cooked; doughnuts are fried. Since they are so dense and full inside, the heat used during cooking wouldn't be able to reach all the way into the middle to cook the center if these yummy baked goods were simply disc-shaped with no hole.

Can I avoid the donut hole?

If you have limited income and resources, you may want to see if you qualify to receive Medicare's Extra Help/Part D Low-Income Subsidy. People with Extra Help see significant savings on their drug plans and medications at the pharmacy, and do not fall into the donut hole. See if you qualify and apply today.

How do you survive the donut hole?

Five Ways to Avoid the Medicare Part D Coverage Gap (“Donut Hole”...
  1. Buy Generic Prescriptions. ...
  2. Order your Medications by Mail and in Advance. ...
  3. Ask for Drug Manufacturer's Discounts. ...
  4. Consider Extra Help or State Assistance Programs. ...
  5. Shop Around for a New Prescription Drug Plan.

Did the donut hole end?

Drug plans did not pay anything toward the cost of drugs in the donut hole so beneficiaries were stuck with the tab for the entire cost. Beginning in 2011, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) took measures to close the donut hole, known as the Coverage Gap.

What is the most donut holes eaten?

Geoffrey Esper set a new world record last year at the event — eating a whopping 293 Jack's Donut holes in eight minutes.

Does the donut hole reset each year?

Your Medicare Part D prescription drug plan coverage starts again each year — and along with your new coverage, your Donut Hole or Coverage Gap begins again each plan year. For example, your 2022 Donut Hole or Coverage Gap ends on December 31, 2022 (at midnight) along with your 2022 Medicare Part D plan coverage.

Who made the 1st donut?

Hanson Gregory, an American, claimed to have invented the ring-shaped doughnut in 1847 aboard a lime-trading ship when he was 16 years old.

Who was the first donut hole puncher?

It ought to be noted that it was nineteenth century sea captain Hanson Gregory who is widely credited with having created the hole, which replaced the "nut" (often a walnut) that was traditionally found in the center of the dough (which, of course, explains the name "dough-nut").

Who invented donuts first?

Meet the American who gave us the donut

Captain Hanson Gregory (1832-1921) created the donut as a teen while trying to feed a crew of sailors — and changed American culinary culture forever. Americans have a "hole" lotta love for the donut. Credit Maine mariner Captain Hanson Crockett Gregory for that.

Did Romans invent doughnuts?

The story of the origin of the doughnut begins in ancient Rome and Greece, the first sources about the dough cooked in fat and honey, originate from here. In the Middle Ages, small dough balls were baked in Arabia and dipped in sugar syrup for sweetening.

What is the birthplace of doughnut?

Variations of this toothsome snack were enjoyed throughout Europe for centuries. However, the word doughnut seems to have originated in northeastern England around 1750. Krondl explains it was then that the first recipe, which called for taking “dough the size of a walnut” and frying it, appeared in print.

Are donuts fried or baked?

Old-fashioned cake doughnuts were deep-fried in hot fat; NEW-fashioned cake doughnuts are baked in a hot oven! Use a doughnut pan and this tasty recipe to create your choice of doughnuts.

Why is donut pink?

According to company lore, a Cambodian doughnut shop owner asked Westco some four decades ago if there were any cheaper boxes available other than the standard white cardboard. So Westco found leftover pink cardboard stock and formed a 9-by-9-by-4-inch container with four semicircle flaps to fold together.