The Elephant and Butter

The Elephant and Butter, while reading about saffron, somehow learned about donuts and theology. Oh what a world. In Secrets of Saffron: The Vagabond Life of the World's Most Seductive Spice, Pat Willard writes:

...the German Dunkards, who in reverence to the Trinity plunged their believers three times into the baptismal water (but somehow became more famous for dipping their delicious donuts into their morning coffee...)

The Dunkards, like the Amish and Mennonites, fled religious persecution in Europe in the late 1600s and and settled in Pennsylvania, where they became known as Pennsylvania Dutch. Their fastnacht (donut) lore can be found here, as well as some recipes. I rather like the idea of religious sacraments having parallel manifestations involving oily cakes and coffee. 

 

Now back to saffron.