WASHINGTON - When cultural historians reflect on Southern food, they think about grits and fried chicken and chitlins and, of course, Krispy Kreme doughnuts.
From Biloxi, Miss., to Charlotte, N.C., and invading the Midwest as far north as Fort Wayne, Ind., these deep-fried sugar- and fat-filled miracles have defined breakfast for millions of Americans.
Now, the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History is honoring this culinary icon with an exhibit that illuminates its importance. In the age of the bagel, the old-fashioned donut - as American as peanut butter and jelly - is getting a nod.
The museum last week accepted a donation of doughnut artifacts including equipment, memorabilia and documents from Krispy Kreme Doughnut Corp., to be part of the museum's exhibits on American business, social and cultural history. At the heart of the Smithsonian display is a 1949 "Ring King Jr." doughnut machine, one of the ancient mechanical miracles used to spin out Krispy Kreme cake doughnuts.
The machine is important, said Smithsonian archivist John Fleckner, because it symbolizes the importance of machinery in producing good food cheaply and consistently. In a way, Krispy Kreme was father to the kind of standardization that made Big Macs and Starbucks coffee coast-to-coast sensations.
"We take for granted food products that are of standard uniform quality and inexpensive, and Krispy Kreme is a part of how we got to that point," Fleckner said as he displayed the stainless steel wonder.
Of course, another important part of the American food experience is selling the sizzle, and the Krispy Kreme folks were on hand last week to do just that.
According to Southern legend, they said, Elvis Presley had a box of Krispy Kreme jelly doughnuts within easy reach at all times.
Krispy Kreme has been padding Southern stomachs for 60 years, growing from a delivery service for Winston-Salem, N.C., grocery stores in 1937 to a regional treasure of 127 doughnut outlets in 17 Southeastern states.
"It really is important to the Southern identity and the Southern experience," said Fleckner, who admitted that as a Northeasterner, he had to visit a Krispy Kreme location in Winston-Salem to figure that out.
To highlight the doughnut's cultural significance, there was a 20 minute sing-along in the Smithsonian lobby. Among the featured tunes were such classics as "Doughnuts and Coffee" and the "Doughnut Polka." "Watch the doughnut, not the hole," belted entertainer Cindy Hutchins in a rendition of Burl Ives' "Doughnut Song."
