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Celebrate America’s favorite breakfast pastry

A La Carte

January 14, 2020

Story By: Brandon Bosworth | Photos by: LAWRENCE TABUDLO

 

Spam Musubi ($1.55 Oahu; $1.99 on the neighbor islands) FILE PHOTO

After the hubbub of Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, New Year’s Day, Yule, etc., it’s quite possible you missed another recent holiday. The first Friday of every year is National Donut Day, and has been for 82 years.

The Salvation Army established the first National Donut Day in 1938 in Chicago, yet the origins date back to the front lines in France during World War I. The Salvation Army sent more than 250 women there to help prepare meals for U.S. troops. The creative cooks cleverly figured out that military-issue helmets were perfect for frying up to seven doughnuts at a time.

Glazed Doughnut ($1.09, neighbor island pricing varies)

In 1938, the Salvation Army decided to honor these proclaimed “doughnut lassies” by recognizing an annual pastry holiday and National Doughnut Day was born.

While National Doughnut Day 2020 came and went on Jan. 5, any day of the year is a good day for a doughnut. And while jelly-filled, long johns, maple bars and other non-spherical varieties have their admirers, there’s nothing quite like a classic round glazed doughnut complete with the hole in the center.

Azuki Bean Turnover ($2.39)

7-Eleven Hawaii is the perfect place to pick up one of these spherical sweets. Freshly made daily, 7-Eleven’s Glazed Doughnut ($1.09, neighbor island pricing varies) is a light and fluffy yeast doughnut with a sweet glaze. Grab one with your morning cup of coffee and enjoy while pondering the words of novelist and doughnut aficionado Haruki Murakami: “Whether you take the doughnut hole as a blank space or as an entity unto itself is a purely metaphysical question and does not affect the taste of the doughnut one bit.”

Speaking of coffee, 7-Eleven offers some delicious options. The Estate Roast consists of 20 percent Kona coffee blend grown from a single estate. For the Waialua Blend, 30 percent of coffee beans used were grown in Waialua on Oahu’s North Shore. The Waialua Blend will only be offered for a limited time starting the week of Feb. 24. Hot coffee is available in a variety of sizes: 12 ounce, $1.39; 16 ounce $1.49; 20 ounce $1.59; and 24 ounce, $1.69.

Freshly brewed coffee (prices vary)

Want something a little different to accompany your cup of joe? On Jan. 21, 7-Eleven will begin offerIng an Azuki Bean Turnover ($2.39). Only available on Oahu, this new treat will be baked fresh daily.

Of course, you can’t really talk about 7-Eleven Hawaii without talking about Spam musubi. Readers of the Honolulu Star-Advertiser have regularly voted 7-Eleven Hawaii’s original Spam Musubi the best on Oahu.

 

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