Today, of course, marks the 69th anniversary of D-Day (I recommend The Bedford Boys by Alex Kershaw). Tomorrow, however, is National Donut Day—created by the Salvation Army in 1938 to honor the women who served these fine treats to our doughboys in World War I, in case you’re wondering. But there probably isn’t a bigger proponent of this holiday than Dunkin’ Donuts, and with reason: The Massachusetts-based chain will be debuting its latest creation known as the Glazed Donut Breakfast Sandwich. (They will also be offering a free donut with any drink purchase.)
But about that sandwich. The company blog describes it as a “savory and sweet breakfast treat, which consists of a fried egg and cherrywood-smoked bacon inside a split glazed yeast ring donut for 360 calories.” What is shocking here is not the mixture of extreme sweet and salt. No, what is shocking is the meager 360 calories. How can something so decadent have fewer calories than, say, a Big Mac or a Subway 6-inch Italian B.M.T.? The breakfast sandwich can’t be all that big—you’ll probably want more than one (and yes, there’s only one way to find out). Second, the issue is less about calories than it is about sodium, which totals 720 milligrams. But as the Los Angeles Times points out, even the salt is less than that within a KFC Honey BBQ sandwich.
The Dunkin’ Donuts blog says this shall be a permanent fixture on the menu. But will it catch on? You might be holding back because the notion of fried eggs and bacon between two slices of a glazed donut seems offensive. But most of us would have no qualms at a breakfast buffet, sampling these items separately. In other words, it’s not the components of the Glazed Donut Breakfast Sandwich that might disturb us—it’s simply the idea of combining it all in one mouthful. If consumers get passed this palate hurdle, there will be no stopping it.
Photo courtesy of Dunkin’ Donuts