Anthrax makes life even worse for powdered doughnuts

Arizona Republic

Powdered doughnuts another "victim" of anthrax scares. Bruce Asato • The Honolulu Advertiser

Pity the powdered doughnut. So dry, so plain, so beigy white.

Never the best seller, hardly anyone's favorite, so often the last one in the box at the office coffee bar.

Now, anthrax. Life for the powdered doughnut is suddenly worse.

True stories:

• At Krispy Kreme doughnuts in Scottsdale, Ariz., the powdered doughnut always has been the least popular, the class nerd. But a few Tuesdays ago, the maligned treat suffered true humiliation. A group of postal employees on their way to be tested for anthrax exposure requested the doughnut be omitted from their variety pack, reports Krispy Kreme employee Steve Sayers, 41.

• At Grand Central Terminal in New York, an area was closed off and a mysterious white substance sent to a lab for analysis. The culprit, according to the Associated Press? A discarded powdered doughnut.

The powdered doughnut is "kind of the Rodney Dangerfield of delicious snacks," said Syracuse University pop-culture professor Robert Thompson. "It's not one of those things that gets a lot of credit, not one of those things that's celebrated very often."

Perhaps the low status of the powdered doughnut always has been because of its telltale trail. White powdered doughnuts should not be eaten in the car, on the way to work or at the desk. White powder is not pretty on black blazers and charcoal suits.

When considering longevity, though, this doughnut may be due some respect. The first doughnut, which may have appeared sometime in the early 1800s, was almost certainly taken for a spin in powder before other flourishes were invented. Powdered sugar came before sprinkles, cream filling and pink icing. People liked powdered doughnuts back then.

What happened? Perhaps familiarity breeds contempt.