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A little doughnut fever

The Young Reporter (2006, November), 39(02), pp. 8.
Author: Vital Mui Wai-ki. Editor: Carol Chung Yau-shan.
Permanent URL - https://sys01.lib.hkbu.edu.hk/bujspa/purl.php?&did=bujspa0002338

■VITAL MUI WAI-KI

Valentine’s Day may be a long way away still, but a heart-shaped donut is already being planned by an American fast-food chain that has just started to promote and sell the popular American breakfast item in Hong Kong.

Krispy Kreme, an American doughnut label which has recently opened their first store here following its success in South Korea, was planning the special camgaign [i.e. campaign] as a publicity effort.

What was not widely known was its community charity effort. The store has been selling its doughnuts at reduced prices to voluntary organisations, which would re-sell for fundraising purposes.

While fast-food chains are common in most modern cities of China, doughnuts remain generally rare in Chinese communities, even in Westernized Hong Kong.

Seems that doughnut is new for Hong Kong people. The line of doughnuts on offer included the traditional glazed version

Krispy Kreme’s executive secretary Macy Lee introduced the store’s unusual feature-its open kitchen where doughnuts are freshly made in front of customers. “Asians like to see food prepared in front of them,” Ms Lee said.

The store has a long window displaying the kitchen, allowing patrons and potential patrons to watch the making and birth of doughnuts. Mechanical and electronic devices would automatically spit out rings of dough, raise yeast, bake, deep-fry, flip and then finally glaze the doughnuts. There is a “HOT” neon sign that would light up when fresh doughnuts are ready to eat.

The ring-shaped doughnut is naturally the most common type, while there are also versions of a flattened sphere stuffed with sweet fillings.

“Although our shop was originated in America, we care much about the taste of Hong Kong people,” Ms Lee said.

A local secondary school student Mac said she was addicted to the combination of doughnuts and coffee. “I come to have doughnuts almost everyday. The wonderful taste of the bitter fragrance of coffee mixed with the sweet taste of doughnuts is my favourite.”

Ms Lee said, “We don’t have any advertisement in newspapers or magazines, we want people to know about us from their trial experience.” To help promote word of mouth, the shop has staged a mass-scale sampling on the street before its official opening. It would still offer free tasting samples to customers waiting in line.

Some might worry that they might gain weight eating doughnuts. But Cherry Wong, an office lady, said that she was drawn by the relative novelty. “No matter how many calories a doughnuts has, you just can’t not to be tempted.”

Edited by

CAROL CHUNG YAU-SHAN

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