The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-07-14

DOUGHNUTS AND CRULLERS,
.Delecfablo Products Both, but Not
to Be Confounded.


To THE EDITOR OF THE sUN--Sir: TIL
SUN asks whether the prohibition OF
the manufacture Of doughnuts which II
reported to have been decreed In Canada
is due to the waste in the formation
Of the centre cavity"
l. can positively affirm that II IL not
This is not becaase have any knowl.
edge beyond that which Is gained from
profound understanding of tho facts
that umderlie the decree and lifelong
acQuafnt anco with (nOt TO say a strons
love for) the subject matter of the
question. These. however, leave no pos
sible room for dispute or question. The
logic involved is inexorahae.
The very first fact to be cited is con-
elusive of itself. Canada in abjuring
the doughnut could not have been desir-
GUS of avoiding the wastage specified
for there Is no centre cavity In a dough-
nut. A doushnut is not buEt that way.
THE Sun, being a New York paper
has not unnaturally fallen into the New
York error Of confusing crullers with
doughnuts. I call 1t New York error
because It originated here before the
civil war. though I believe 1t has spread
through other communities since then.
I can we'll remember my grandmothe
nilgnation and surprise when the fam
fly came to New York from Massachu-
setts in the early sos at finding crullers
OF doalshnuts. Not that she would buy
a dOughnut in bakeshop. Nobody
would who knew how to make them. But
she learned the fact from observation.
The cruller, sir, is q second cousin
OF the doughnut. but belongs to the
Dutch or Knickerbocker branch of the
family. and differs from his New Eng
land or Puritan relative in form and in
substance. He 1t Ia, aud not the dough-
nut, who has a centre cavity. and by
this feature alone he Is easily distin-
guished at sight from his cousin. There
are. however. other dfffe rences between
them even more radkal than that Of
physical conformation.
I regret that am unable to specify
those differences SO exactly as to he able
myself to produce a real doughuut. My
grandmother could do it. but she has
been making them for the angels in
heaven for many years now, and even
before that she was chary with her
choicest secretA She was n product OF
the time Of which the poet sang in the
immortal lines:
The good old days when doughnuts were
made as big as bricks.
And twas not thought unmannerly to eat
many as six.
I greatly fear that when that super
excellent old lady departed this life she
took her recipes with her. knowing that
her cruuers and mince pies and such
would be in demand wherever she was.
Anyhow. there have been no real dough-
nuts nor any nnince pies since. 30 far
as I am informed. But this Is divaga-
ton. The question is why Canada has
aschewed the doughnut. and as to that
I can only OFFER surmse. not knowing
whether the Doughnutibus canadensis is
the real tlang or the illegitimate scion
Of a dying family. II 1t be that there
are cooks in the Dominion who can make
proper doughnuts, which is barely pos
sible. though I question 1t, the Govern
ment Is certainly justified in stopping
them from doing II. for no human power
could limit the consumption OF such
daintles II they were available.
DAVID A. CURTIS.
New YORK, July 10.