Craving a donut in Kansas City? You need to try these locally-owned bakeries

The donut — or doughnut — is a Dutch import that became an American tradition. Sprinkled across the Kansas City metro are shops that have perfected the fried treat, from classic yeast donuts and creative twists like the mochi donut to fanciful seasonal options.
Myth surrounds the creation of the modern donut. Fried dough was originally introduced to the Americas by Dutch settlers in the 17th century in what is modern-day New York. This dough sometimes contained a filling of fruit and nuts — thus, the term “doughnuts.”

However, it wasn’t until the 1800s that the truly American version of the donut was invented.

The story goes that an American sailor named Hanson Gregory used a tin on his ship to cut a hole in the doughnut to give it the now-familiar circular shape. As for why, that’s where the story moves into myth. The most logical explanation, and the one that is generally accepted, is that the center wouldn’t cook all the way through, so he just took out the middle.