The West Coast Pink Bakery Box Theory
Pink box from Voodoo Doughnuts in Portland, Oregon. [Flickr: mulmatsherm]
There are many cultural differences between the West and East coasts but it takes a true doughnut eater to notice the one involving different-colored bakery boxes. When Jessie Oleson of Cakespy (and our own baking blogger) moved out west, she spotted the Pepto Bismol-colored boxes after being so used to white ones. It turns out the difference has something to do with Cambodia (yes, we're all over the map here). According to an "Ask Chris" column in Los Angeles Magazine:
Cambodians fleeing the Khmer Rouge in the late 1970s arrived in large numbers in Southern California, where they were recruited by Winchell’s. At the time the coated, greaseproof boxes that held the pastries were costly and came in white, the color of mourning in Cambodia. So the immigrants found a company, Evergreen in Cerritos, that made the boxes cheaper and uncoated in pink.
Indeed, the pink boxes do appear to be slightly cheaper than the white boxes. Not only that, but the color is pretty forgiving of grease stains—it just turns a darker shade of pink whereas on white boxes, oily blotches become a dismal gray. While the pink box may have roots in Southern California, they've traveled up and down the coast, from Canter's Deli in Los Angeles to Sugar Bakery and Cafe in Seattle.
Related
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10 Comments:
Thanks for clearing up that little confusion for me. I grew up in Michigan and all I ever saw were white bakery boxes. But on some TV shows and films, I noticed pink bakery boxes and I thought they were cute because I like pink.
zemer at 9:25AM on 09/18/09
I call urban legend.
I grew up in the Santa Clara Valley (now known as Silicon Valley) and we always used to get our pastries in pink boxes. Mind you, this was in the late 1950's (as near as I can remember). I doubt that there were a lot of Cambodians fleeing the Khmer Rouge in those days.
gb944 at 9:39AM on 09/18/09
Whoa, whoa, whoa. This is the first time I'm hearing about the Cambodian pink bakery box connection and as a first gen, this is THE COOLEST THING EVER.
However, though the white-for-mourning, pink-for-awesomeness thing is true, I can't recall any of the Cambodian-owned bakeries on the east coast carrying pink boxes. Just white.
monicalong at 11:32AM on 09/18/09
Fascinating! I always see pink box = donuts, white box = cakes
chlamers at 11:44AM on 09/18/09
Growing up with many Asian donut places, take out dim sum joints, and Asian bakeries, I've associated pink boxes with pineapple buns, char siu bao, etc.
I didn't realize until college that others associated the pink box with donuts.
manda at 11:53AM on 09/18/09
Here in the Silicon Valley pink boxes are for cheap bakeries and white for higher-end bakeries. So, donuts=pink, Grocery-store type bakeries= pink boxes, and pricier bakeries=white
sarahj at 12:43PM on 09/18/09
pink boxes=dim sum or scones, two of my favorite foods :)
runnereater at 7:27PM on 09/18/09
I didn't realize pink boxes were strictly a west coast thing.
My favorite donut shop in San Pedro, "The Donut", uses those grey boxes that fast food joints like In N Out use as to-go boxes. The grease stains on those boxes are very unforgiving. They're an embedded guilt-trip.
oh_no_eric at 8:17PM on 09/18/09
I was born and raised in the Los Angeles area and all I've ever seen is pink boxes. I associate them with my dad, who has a huge sweeth tooth- though he'll never admit it. Whenever he had a weekend off and a few extra bucks, he'd wake up early Saturday morning and go to one of the local donut shops for a dozen mixed. I'd always eat a chocolate covered donut with a Diet Coke ... I've always hated milk.
Is it wrong that I immedietly thought of something sexual when I saw the box that says, "Good things come in pink boxes?"
PumpkinBear at 10:59PM on 09/18/09
Funny that in "How I Met Your Mother" which is supposedly set in NYC, they have shown a pink donut box once or twice. Perhaps because the show is actually filmed in LA?
kessler at 10:22AM on 09/20/09