KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Pop-up vendor Slow Rise makes filled sourdough doughnuts, and it's not unusual for customers to wait in long lines to get a taste.
More traditional flavors like cinnamon or Nutella are available, but so are unique flavors not all customers may be familiar with, like pandan and palm sugar.
Pandan is a tropical plant commonly used in Southeast Asian cuisine.
"We used it in almost every dessert," said Jessica Dunkel, Slow Rise founder.
Growing up in Indonesia, she says she misses the flavors of the desserts she grew up with. So, she's working to bring them to Kansas City.
"My mom and my grandma, they always baked, so I kind of wanted to introduce that to the people here," she said.
Jessica teamed up with her husband Jeff Dunkel on Slow Rise.
Both already have full-time jobs — Jessica is a food scientist — but Slow Rise provides a connection to her family's history.
"I start telling my mom about it, and she was like, 'Oh my gosh.' She got really excited," Jessica Dunkel said.
Dunkel's mom, grandma, aunts and uncles all owned their own businesses. Now, she gets to follow in their footsteps.
"She’s like, 'I’m really proud of you,'" Dunkel said. "... It’s just something that I’m really proud of."
Customers can find Slow Rise every Saturday at the Lawrence Farmers' Market.
Follow Slow Rise on Instagram to see when they'll pop-up in Kansas City.
