We eat with our eyes first,” said Princess of Sussex Meghan Markle in her With Love, Meghan Netflix show.
So true. Food has to be visually enticing for us to want to eat it, rather, devour it. For instance, when I see the tempting doughnuts (now popularly spelled as donuts) by J.Co lined up in their store, I get excited like a child, just looking at all their eye candy in 32 colorful and luscious flavors.
But my favorite is Alcapone, inspired by the Italian-American gangster Al Capone. What do this donut and this gangster have in common? They’re both on “most wanted” lists.
Alcapone is made with Belgian white and roasted slices of California almonds. It was love at first bite for me, although I do like other flavors as well, obviously inspired by iconic figures like Avocado Dicaprio, Jacky Chunk, Katy Berry, Berry Spears and Heaven Berry. At P49 per donut, J.Co is a winner.
The J.Co freestanding store on Aguinaldo Highway in Imus, Cavite has a drive-thru lane.
J.Co does sound sexy like the famous singer J.Lo, but if you’re a well-traveled Asian, it simply sounds delicious. J.Co is a famous Indonesian cafe chain known for its donuts, coffee and frozen yogurt. The Johnny Andrean Group franchised brand was brought to the Philippines in 2012 by Carlos Chan, the food industrialist who founded Oishi. Now J.Co has 85 stores nationwide.
J.Co will launch a new store concept called J.Co Reserve this third quarter in NAIA Terminal 3 offering special techniques of manual brew, espresso based and artisanal coffee, plus all-day dining which includes the well-loved donuts, sandwiches and frozen yogurt.
Wondering who invented donuts, I did a bit of research. Donuts were brought into New York by Dutch immigrants in the 17th to 18th century who made dough balls that were called “oil cookies” then.
Who put the holes in donuts? Hanson Gregory claimed to be inventor of the ring-shaped donut in 1847 aboard a trading ship when he was 16.
At the J.Co opening in the Philippines: From left are Shera Tiu, Rinby Lao, Karen Chan, Oszen Chan, Johnny Andrean, Carlos Chan and Priscilla Chan.
Other countries claim to have their own original versions. Germany calls their donut the Berliner, filled with sweet preserves. France has “beignets,” or deep-fried pastries dusted with powdered sugar. Japan has a unique donut variety called “pon de king” which has a chewy texture. The Middle East has its “Sufganiyot” — jelly-filled donuts eaten during Hanukkah. But Canada holds the title for most donuts consumed per capita.
Many celebrities are said to have donuts in their fave lists. Former US president Barack Obama is said to favor Top Pot donuts in Seattle. Prince Harry preferred to give donuts to the recent wildfire victims in Los Angeles. Beyoncé was once pictured with a cake made entirely of donuts, while Ariana Grande was seen licking donuts while holding a box of donuts. Not that I care for this US president who deports illegal immigrants to places like Libya, but Donald Trump supposedly skipped an important hearing while attending a Valentine’s Day party where donuts were served.
The US observes a National Donut Day every first Friday of June in honor of the Salvation Army who served donuts to soldiers on the front lines during World War I.
So donut forget that these pastries come with sweet memories, too.
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Follow the author on Instagram and Facebook @milletmartinezmananquil. Email her at milletman88@gmail.com and mmmananquil@philstarmedia.com.
