America may be known for its love of fast food, but that does not mean that we do it best. Lots of fast food restaurants, like McDonalds, now have a global presence, and their menu items tend to reflect local flavors and delicacies. Dunkin’ donuts is no exception.
Dunkin’ donuts locations around the world sell a variety of products that you would never find in American stores. Some of these foods may make you want to study abroad, while others may cause you to lose your appetite.
However you feel about these different donuts, remember that people around the world love them. So they might just be worth a try if you ever get the chance.
1. Date Donut (Middle East)
Photo courtesy of Dunkin’ Donuts
Dates, a popular Middle Eastern fruit, are a great way to naturally sweeten healthy desserts (like these no bake date bars). But they are even better when turned into a sweet syrup drizzled atop an iced donut.
2. Black Cheese Donut (Indonesia)
Photo courtesy of Msn.com
This chocolate-frosted yeast donut is topped with vanilla cream and rolled in shredded Parmesan. Combining chocolate with cheese isn’t a new invention, but putting it on a donut takes this salty and sweet pairing to a whole new level.
3. Avacado Dunkaccino (Indonesia)
Photo Courtesy of @wijayautari on Instagram
If avocados can be used to make healthier chocolate truffles, then I don’t see why they can’t be added to everyone’s favorite Dunkin’ Donuts drink.
4. Pork Floss Donut (China)
Photo courtesy of Dunkin’ Donuts
You may cringe at the thought of topping a glazed donut with dried pork, but it’s not much different than topping it with bacon. Just like bacon, pork floss, a popular salty snack in China, adds a nice umami flavor to the sweet donut.
5. Kai Young (Thailand)
Photo courtesy of Dunkin’ Donuts
If you don’t eat pork but still want a unique meat-topped donut, then take a visit to Thailand. Their surprising popular Kai Young donut is topped with shredded chicken and Thai chile paste.
6. Nutty Ube Donut (Philippines)
Hungry? Sink your teeth into a sweet crunchy Nutty Ube from #DunkinDonutsPH for only P20 each! pic.twitter.com/a6MtesxuRs
— Dunkin’ Donuts PH (@dunkindonutsph) May 15, 2015
Many Filipino desserts feature ube, which is a purple yam, is a popular addition to many Filipno desserts. If you can’t make it out to the Philippines, you can always make your own ube-filled sweet buns.
7. Iced Chicha Fruit Coolatta (Peru)
Photo courtesy of Dunkin’ Donuts
Apparently purple is a popular color abroad. This Dunkin’ Donuts item is inspired by Chicha Morada, a popular Peruvian drink made from dried purple corn.
8. Saffron Pistachio Melody Donut (India)
Photo courtesy of Dunkin’ Donuts
Saffron may be most commonly used in savory dishes, such as paella, but this spice can also be added to sweets. In this donut, icing made with saffron water pairs perfectly with a sprinkling of pistachios.
9. Kimchi Donut (Korea)
Photo by Andrew Siddons
Kimchi, a popular Korean condiment, may be gaining popularity in America, but we have yet to stuff it inside a savory donut.
10. Fruity Paradise (Thailand)
Photo courtesy of Dunkin’ Donuts
Easily the tamest and most familiar donut on this list, the fruity paradise donut is glazed and topped with toasted almonds, whipped cream, cherries, kiwi, and pineapple. It basically packs an entire tropical vacation of flavors in one bite.
11. Mochi Ring (Throughout Asia)
Photo courtesy of Dunkin’ Donuts
This Japanese sticky rice creates a chewy shell that can be filled with ice cream or red bean paste, but Dunkin’ Donuts has found a new way to use it. These adorable rings come in a variety of flavors such as matcha, chocolate, banana, and mango.
12. Olive Chewisty (Korea)
Photo courtesy of Cleysjustsaying.blogspot.com
Made from olive oil and tapioca starch, these donuts have a light and chewy texture (similar to that of Mochi) that is popular in Korean desserts.
13. Glutinous Rice Stick (Korea)
Photo courtesy of Cleysjustsaying.blogspot.com
Like the other Korean donuts on this list, these have a chewy texture that pairs well with their smooth cream cheese frosting. If these taste anything like deep fried rice pudding, then I think they’re worth a try.
14. Shake Shake Munchkins (China)
Photo courtesy of Dunkin’ Donuts
Salty and sweet seem to be a popular combination in Asian donuts, and munchkins are no exception. After being fried, these warm donut holes are dropped in a bag and shaken in order to coat them in savory seasonings. They currently offer three flavors: spicy, roast and pizza.
15. Lychee and Durian Donuts (Indonesia)
Photo courtesy of buzzfeed.com
These exotic fruits put a new twist on the classic jelly-filled donut. Although many people shun durian because of its repulsive smell, it actually tastes quite delicious when prepared properly.
16. Red Bean Donuts (Korea)
Photo courtesy of FoodishFetish on Flickr
The azuki bean, also known as the red bean, appears in a number of Japanese, Korean, and Chinese dishes. When cooked down with sugar, it makes a sweet paste that can be added to a variety of desserts, such as donuts.
17. Green Tea and Red Bean Bagel Ball (Korea)
Photo courtesy of Dunkin’ Donuts
Red bean paste can also be used in savory dishes such this bagel ball. Korean Dunkin’ Donuts also sell red velvet bagel balls with chocolate and pepperoni bagel balls with tomato cream cheese.
18. Jalapeno Bulgogi Hot Bread (Korea)
Photo courtesy of Dunkin’ Donuts
Another popular savory item in Korea is their bulgogi, jalapeño, and cheese sandwich. Bulgogi is thinly-sliced marinated beef often used in Korean BBQ.
19. Emerald Custard Donut (Thailand)
Photo courtesy of Dunkin’ Donuts
Pandan, an herb commonly used in Thai cuisine, often appears in sweet and savory rice dishes. Dunkin’ Donuts took a different approach by filling their typical yeast donut with a Pandan custard.
20. Wasabi Cheese Donut (Singapore)
This spicy condiment seems to have no place on a donut, but it is actually a very popular item in Singapore. Maybe we just can’t stomach the idea because we have never had real wasabi before.