Foods shaped like rings (Eat around the World)

Initially, I wanted February’s theme to be bagels because I like bagels. Instead, I thought maybe I should go a little broader and explore different types of ring-shaped food. This theme is so fitting for February because the Winter Olympics start this Friday. Also, this month is Valentine’s Day and I thought of engagement rings — cheesy, I know.

Last week, we had a roach problem in our kitchen. Though it was small, we hired an exterminator. We emptied and cleaned all our cabinets and it has to remain that way for another three weeks when the exterminator returns for the second treatment. The current kitchen workspace is a 30-inch by 30-inch table, sink, and range and all our kitchen items such as utensils and pantry staples are in boxes. I think I am up to the challenge to make something ring-shaped.

I also think looking for ring-shaped food around LA would be fun. Last weekend, I wanted to go to this bagel place but the line was so long. I did not want to stand in line with my kid in one hand and my dogs on the other hand — I don’t think they would have liked standing in line either. Then I thought of another place I’d been meaning to go to. Instead of the bagel bakery, I went to RING Baked Tofu Donuts.

RING Baked Tofu Donuts is tucked in an office building in Canoga Park. When you walk in bakery, you feel like you’ve been transported to Japan. Maybe it’s the decorations. Isn’t the tofu donut display so cute?

My kid’s hand for reference. These donuts were small!

The donuts are on the smaller side. I’ve never had tofu as a dessert before so I was not sure what to expect. When I opened it, the donuts felt firm but also moist. For this trip, I got the vanilla bean and earl grey flavor. The flavors were very light. RING also sells coffee and tea too. I would come back to try more of their stuff like their chocolate or red velvet donut.

It was a fun little food hunt. Pre-pandemic I use to go to different cafes and bakeries all the time. Lately, I’ve been trying to get out of this “funk” — a combination of the pandemic, a long work commute, new motherhood, a piling laundry list of to do’s, etc. I should get back to doing these food hunts in the middle of my weekend errands more often.

“Eat around the World“ is a monthly writing/photography challenge where I invite people to share a dish around a theme, ingredient, or technique. February’s theme is food shaped like rings! To participate you could either share your post in the comment box, pingback to this post, or tag “Eat Around the World.” The deadline is February 28th.