Fried dough treats span cultures and generations; the Chinese eat fried dough balls for breakfast, Iran and India have analogous dishes and almost every Western European country has their own version. But the funnel cake stands alone as a singular example of edible perfection: forget state fairs, funnel cakes have jumped the cultural gap to both cafeterias and upscale restaurants. How could they not? Combining the basic goodness of fried dough and powdered sugar, the funnel cake boasts one advantage over similar treats. Its unique — some might say haphazard — shape maximizes surface area for sugar and allows for convenient sharing with its easily divisible components.