The Hole Truth About Doughnuts

You can tell a lot about a country's people from the food they enjoy ... and that definitely includes FAST food like the humble doughnut. Cynthia Bowers have been sampling treats:

There's nothing like the aroma of a freshly-made doughnut. It's enough to put your senses into overdrive.

Paul Mullins, author of "Glazed America: A History of the Doughnut" (University Press of Florida) says we don't really know who the original inventor is, because fried dough dates all the way back to the Stone Age.

"Somebody dropped it in boiling oil at some point and decided this was delicious," Mullins said.

Delicious, indeed. And ever since, doughnuts have long been a cultural favorite around the world.

Mullins says they probably came to the United States in the 18th century with Dutch immigrants.

"And they put something in the middle of that?" Bowers asked.

"Often they put a nut or a plum or something like that." That's likely where the name "dough-nut" came from.

The pastry became popular with Americans during the First World War. Salvation Army workers even cooked them for the troops overseas to remind them of home.

"They realized very quickly that the scent of doughnuts was a very powerful lure to troops on the front," Mullins said.

Doughnuts were used to feed the hungry during the Great Depression.

It wasn't long after that a store called Krispy Kreme opened in North Carolina. Dunkin' Donuts (now the world's biggest doughnut chain) started in 1950 in Massachusetts.

And while they've become the megabrands, the U.S. still has its share of family-run shops - considered social centers in many communities.

"You have a couple of doughnuts, drink a cup of coffee - that's a really kind of powerful bonding experience," Mullins said.

One of the most famous of the family-owned is Long's Bakery in Indianapolis. Opened in 1952, it's now run by the founder's grandson, Dennis Rinehart, and his son, Brandon.

"We still get the people that come in and say, 'Oh, we've seen it or heard about it, and it's our first time,' you know?" said Dennis.

Diehard fans travel from around the country to grab a fresh baked dozen at Long's.

Mullins says yeast doughnuts are typically the most popular. But doughnuts have come a long way. They now come in all tastes and sizes.

At the Doughnut Plant in New York, Mark Isreal has taken doughnut making to a whole new level.

"Usually when I'm comin' up with a doughnut, I think about what I want," he said. "And I don't think what other people are doing."

He's constantly experimenting with new ingredients, like roasted chestnuts and fresh fruit.

Israel's newest creation: a creme brulee doughnut. "I liked the idea of taking this torch and going around the doughnut," he said. "I just loved the way it looked. I love the way it tastes."

And whether it's a two-dollar gourmet doughnut or a 42-cent classic at Long's, either way doughnut shops across America are bustling.

"When the economy is not doing well, we eat even more doughnuts," Mullins said, "'cause we have a little less spending money. We're more careful with our change."

So this Sunday morning, if you're pondering what to have for breakfast, how does a hot, fresh doughnut sound?

We thought so …