THE VERY HUNGRY JOURNALIST  There's always something interesting and scrumptious to explore when it comes to Melbourne's food (and drink) culture.In the first of a weekly series on what's making Melburnians salivate, CORINNA LAGERBERG examines the sweet deliciousness that is the zonut. 

I choked on a carrot this afternoon and all I could think was: "I bet a zonut wouldn’t have done this to me."

What is a zonut? This was my first question when confronted with the cyborgish term. Originally dubbed the cronut, this pastry is a croissant-doughnut hybrid invented by chef Dominique Ansel. It is America’s latest epicurean craze and has taken that country by storm.

Ansel sensibly trademarked the cronut name. Thus, for copyright reasons, Australian patissier Adriano Zumbo has had to create his own take on the delicacy, which he named the zonut. 

What makes it so seductive? On Monday I ate one – the honey joy flavour, with a peanut butter ganache.

It tasted like the child of a buttery croissant and deep-friend doughnut. Three words describe this sensual sensation: rich, oozing and crunchy.

I couldn’t handle the two-handed approach, and had to do a George Costanza and eat my desert with a knife and fork.

To paint a picture, or rather give you a taste, the zonut is rich and flaky, with layers of dough that are whisper thin. It’s also greasy and sugary, just like a traditional hot jam doughnut.

Each layer was separated with peanut butter ganache, which added a much-needed saltiness to the sweet treat. Finally, the honey joy added a delightful and very audible crunch as you consumed your very own piece of food pop-culture. All in all, if you want a scrumptious desert, the zonut has your taste buds covered.

My final thoughts on the zonut are d’oh, d’oh d’oh, for not trying one sooner.

Adriano Zumbo is located at 14 Claremont St, South Yarra & Emporium Melbourne