Krispy Kreme created the doughnut known as the Original Glazed.
The Original Glazed is the signature yeast-raised doughnut of Krispy Kreme. It is fried, coated with a thin sugar glaze, and sold warm in many stores. The glaze gives the doughnut its shiny surface and crisp, sweet exterior while the interior remains light and airy.
Krispy Kreme began selling doughnuts in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, in 1937. The company’s distinctive product became closely tied to the idea of doughnuts being served fresh from the fryer. Stores later used illuminated “Hot Light” signs to signal that fresh doughnuts were being made.
“Original Glazed” is a brand name, not a generic category for every glazed yeast doughnut. Other bakeries make comparable products, but Krispy Kreme uses the capitalized name for its own signature doughnut. The answer is therefore different from the company’s founder, Vernon Rudolph, and from the broader style of glazed doughnut.