Food - Drink
The Unexpectedly Modern History Of The Apple Cider Donut
By KAREN GRECO
Cider donuts originated with the American colonists, who used their surplus of leftover animal fat mixed with seasonal apples and fry dough to create a homespun dessert served at spooky gatherings. That said, it wasn't the delicious dough that launched the rustic treat to the national consciousness; it was the way they cooked it.
In 1921, baker Adolph Levitt and an engineer came together and created an automated machine that dropped perfectly formed dough circles into a vat of hot oil and flipped them at the right time. Levitt eventually formed the Donut Corporation of America and, in 1951, introduced his new item, the Sweet Cider Donut, advertised as a “spicy round cake,” says NPR.
Around the same time of the new donut’s launch, the rise of automobiles led to a demand for food at farm stands in rural areas for city dwellers out for a jaunt. So with Levitt's donut machine and his accompanying commercial donut mixes, the orchards got into the donut game, which paired perfectly with the pressed cider they already sold.