Ribbon doughnut or churros? - The doughnut craze is raging

In recent years, doughnuts have become increasingly popular and popular desserts. Many doughnut shops have opened, offering a wide variety of flavour combinations. In New York, there are restaurants where you can eat a gold-plated doughnut for $100, or almost 30,000 HUF. The latest decoration craze at birthday and baby showers is the doughnut wall, where doughnuts are arranged in patterns on a wall several metres long.

But where did this sweet come from and how did it become so popular around the world?
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In Hungary, the traditional ribbon doughnut is the best known. It is typically eaten during carnival. It is usually made of light egg dough and fried in deep fat or oil. Carnival donuts can be made filled, savoury or sweet. Today there are many more elaborate versions of this sweet. In addition to the traditional ones, there are recipes for quick doughnuts, doughnuts in a jar or doughnuts that can be baked in the oven. There are many fillings and toppings that can be used. Traditional ribbon doughnuts are made from dough that is fried in hot oil. The original recipe calls for lots of icing sugar and homemade jam.
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There are two legends about the spread of doughnuts in Europe. One of them is linked to Queen Marie Antoinette, who is said to have discovered the French pastry called beignets on a night of carnival adventure, and liked it so much that she bought a whole basket of them and ordered the doughnut maker straight to the palace. That's how the doughnut spread to the upper classes.
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Another source says that the doughnut originated in Vienna, in the bakery of Cecilia Krapfen, who tried to throw a piece of bread dough at the head of an outraged customer, but her aim was off and it fell into the hot pan. The misguided dough became instantly popular and has been called Krapfen in Austria ever since.
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Outside Europe, one of the biggest doughnut-loving nations is the United States. The American doughnut is called a doughnut and differs from the European version in that it has a hole in the middle, which, according to legend, was made so that sailors who sail a lot can simply pull the doughnut onto the ship's rudder and feast on it at any time during the voyage.
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Doughnuts are popular all over the world and are eaten differently at different times. In the Netherlands, for example, it is served on New Year's Eve, in Italy it is associated with the Venetian Carnival, in France it is very sweet and full of icing sugar, while in the Czech Republic it is made from a much thinner dough.

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In recent years, however, the Spanish version of the doughnut, the churros, has been gaining ground. Its dough is very similar to the doughnut we know so well, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. However, churros are covered with a thick layer of cinnamon sugar and are to be eaten dipped in chocolate. Spanish doughnuts have nothing to do with carnival, and are eaten locally for breakfast. These star-shaped dough sticks were originally named after their shape, which resembles the horns of the indigenous churra yokes. However, the dessert has now spread all over the world and has a huge following. Nowadays, it is not only eaten with chocolate sauce, but also with a variety of sauces and dressings. Churros are made with sugar, sugar and plenty of oil. So it's best not to think about the ingredients when eating them, just enjoy the flavours. The preparation is a little more complicated than the traditional doughnut, as a meringue bag is needed to press out the dough. First, a burnt dough is made, to which the egg is added. The dough is pressed from a foam bag into the right shape, cut with scissors or a knife and ready to be fried in hot oil. It is not the easiest dessert to make, yet it is hugely popular all over the world.

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Whether filled, sweet or savoury, round or oblong, the doughnut craze is on. Indulge in this heavenly sweetness once in a while and make it your favourite version.