Thursday, January 29, 2009

The great Dunkin Donuts/Tim Horton's Taste Test

I was back in Edmonton last week to surprise the folks (totally worked, mom was speechless. If you know my mom you know how unique that feat is). The weather was unseasonably warm for most of the trip - it was about 15 degrees warmer in Edmonton than Philadelphia until Thursday, when I finally got Canadian winter and the mercury dropped to -36 Celsius.

Anyway, some of the highlights of the trip included filling an entire suitcase with chocolates and cookies (Tim Tams, Penguins, McVitties, Viva Puffs, and Pirate cookies), seeing Slumdog Millionaire (totally not a feelgood movie, but fantastic nonetheless), hanging with old friends and colleagues, and wedding dress shopping with my sister.

Of course, I bought many many Tim Horton's Timbits to bring back with me on the plane. I brought a separate box for my roommate, but found out when I got home that she's off the sugar (horrors!) so she can't eat them. So they'll either wait in the freezer for her to get her teeth fixed, or I'll eat them myself.... I swear every time I go through the Edmonton International Airport either Customs or Security tells me that I can't take my Timbits with me and that I'll have to leave them in their care. Funny the first time, rather tedious the 10th time.

Anyways, I always get sour cream glazed Timbits (doughnut holes) because they're my all-time favourite. Today as I was walking home I popped into a Dunkin Donuts and saw that they too have sour cream doughnuts. Well, the stage for a taste test was set! I bought a doughnut and brought it home:















I then pulled my box of Timbits out of the freezer (the glazed ones freeze very well) and pulled out a couple of the sour cream glazed timbits:
















The Dunkin' Donuts doughnut looked more fried, and smelled like deep fried goodness.
The Timbits looked less crunchy and didn't really smell that much of anything.

Onwards to the testing. The DD doughnut was definitely more well-done. It had a sturdier, more rigid texture, crumblier rather than soft inside (bear in mind that I defrosted the Timbits and they were slightly warmer than the doughnut)















The Timbits had a much thinner outer crust and were not crumbly at all, they were very dense and soft inside (again, this might be due to temperature).
















Tastewise, the DD doughnut - I could taste that it was deep fried and it reminded more of a funnel cake than a sour cream doughnut in taste. It was a light taste, with not much depth and a very definite sugary finish. The Timbits had a deeper, richer taste, you could taste the sour cream and they didn't feel deep fried. They also weren't as sweet. If taste was music, I'd say the DD doughnut was a high note and the Timbits were a middle note - I was actually thinking this as I ate: light soprano versus richer contralto. Yes, I'm pretentious about my doughnut tastings.

Anyway I think I could eat a whole box of the Timbits and not feel heavy. On the other hand, after one DD doughnut I felt as if I had stuck my tongue into a vat of sugary oil.

Hands down the Tim Horton's Sour Cream Glazed Timbits reigned supreme. Too bad I can only get them in Canada (or Providence, RI). I suppose not having a steady supply of doughnuts is actually a good thing...

2 comments:

the Worst Ninja Ever said...

You picked Tim's. Good, that means I won't have to destroy you.

Judy and Eric said...

Well obviously!! Nothing can beat the TH sour cream timbit. Except for the full-sized doughnut!