The elusive Berliner (dougnut )

The hunt for a Berliner or Krapfen, which is a doughnut ( with no central hole ) made from sweet yeast dough fried in lard or cooking oil, usually with a jam filling and dusted with powdered sugar, proved to be a herculean task in Berlin. Eaten in many parts of Europe and known by different names, the history of this humble pastry actually has a page on Wikipedia! In the US, jam or Boston cream filled doughnuts are just another sugary, high carb staple, you'll find in any corner bakeshops and supermarkets. Did you know that it was immigrants from Central Europe who settled in the United States in large numbers during the 19th century who introduced these filled doughnuts to America? In some parts of the Midwestern United States, Boston, and Alberta and Saskatchewan in Canada, these are called "bismarcks" or "bismarks". History of Food.. but that's another topic. Funnily enough, there are many Dunkin Donut franchises all around Berlin with the unmistakable heavily decorated doughnuts. And I was just looking for the plain, original doughnut with jam filling. I've given up looking for "Boule des Berlin", the rendition with crème pâtissière ( pastry cream or Boston Cream in the US ) filling. There are a couple of local doughnut shops but I didn't find what I was after, as they had also gone fancy with their doughnuts. Dejected, I stopped by the Lidl, a German discount supermarket chain and to my utter surprise, shiny balls of jam filled Berliners on sale at the bakery section! Shouts of joy as I grab these lovelies and made for the cashier. For the rest of my stay in Berlin, I was the quintessential tourist. I checked out all the important must-see landmarks on public transport as getting around Berlin was a breeze. A 24 hour public transport ticket makes sense (cents)