Choice Morsel: International Doughnut Culture, Part 5

Doughnuts and honey go hand-in-hand.

written by Tracy Schneider

Typical American doughnuts appear to have pledged themselves to maple syrup, either by way of the classic maple bar, or, more recently, through the ultra-hip maple bacon doughnut. But try doughnuts and honey together in one of these three ways, and you may be converted permanently:

Sopapillas

Perhaps the best known of the honey and fried dough combos in these parts is the sopapilla, on the menu at many Mexican restaurants, but, surprisingly, not Mexican at all. Sopapillas, I learned recently, are thought to have originated in New Mexico and may have earlier roots in South America. A traditional Tex-Mex dish, they can be served savory or sweet and are sometimes stuffed with meat, beans and cheese, though perhaps the best-loved version is served with honey for dessert.

Sopapillas are drizzled with honey at Luisa’s Mexican Grill.
photography by Tracy Schneider and Van Schilperoort

Navajo Fry Bread

If you’d rather not wait until dessert for your doughy, honey-drenched treat, then head out to Cactus, where Navajo fry bread is served as an appetizer and comes with its own ramekin of honey. These yeasty, doughy, quick-fried puffs are so popular, you’ll see people order them in multiples. 

At Cactus, Navajo Fry Bread is served with honey for dipping.

Loukoumades

I never ate as much honey as I did traveling through Greece, and though you may have never heard of loukoumades, they are practically the country’s national dessert. In Greece you can find them in restaurants and tavernas everywhere. There are even tiny stands that sell loukoumades and nothing more. In Seattle, stop into Lola to taste these sweet little fritters, where they’re sprinkled with walnuts, dusted with cinnamon, and, of course, absolutely drenched in honey.

Greek Loukoumades with cinnamon, honey and walnuts at Lola.

Next week, discover Seattle’s Italian doughnuts: zeppole and bomboloni.

 And for ideas on more doughnuts to snack on right now, try French beignets, Polish paczki, Portuguese malasadas, and Chinese youtiao.