Doing Doughnuts Off Road

Freshness is the key

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My first doughnut experience is a bit fuzzy, but I know I was seventeen years old and a new immigrant to Canada. It seems clear that the first taste of a doughnut did not leave a big impression on me, or I would remember it. I would bet it was a supermarket doughnut, bland and stale.

Doughnuts were not a thing in my country of birth. I did not develop a taste for them until later in life.

I was living in a small town on the northern tip of Vancouver Island when a tiny doughnut shop opened in town. It was run by a middle-aged friendly guy out of a trailer at the edge of downtown.

The place was rather basic. Not too many frills, but the doughnuts were delicious. That was where I learned to enjoy those sweet treats.

My next memorable doughnut experience took place on a visit to Las Vegas in the early 80s. The hotel we were staying at had a Krispy Kreme shop inside the facility. They pumped out doughnuts non-stop. The demand was unsurprisingly high, which ensured that when you got your doughnuts, after standing in line longer than you wanted to, they were still warm. A totally addictive experience.

My last encounter with a doughnut shop worth mentioning took place in the early 2000s when I worked on Granville Island, next to its world-class public market.

During my tea break, I would walk over to Lee’s Doughnuts and grab one of their delicious, still-warm glazed treats. So good that it was difficult to restrict myself to just one.

I have to admit that I don’t often crave doughnuts. My positive experiences have all had one thing in common — freshness. Still warm right out of the hot oil, which gives them that classic crispy exterior and soft, pillowy center. A cold, stale doughnut just doesn’t cut it.

Thanks for the sweet prompt, Adrienne Beaumont. Now I want a doughnut!

Wanna play along? Here are the June prompts from the Challenged:

[embed]June is Bustin’ Out all Over Writing prompts coming out the yin-yangmedium.com