Happy Paczki Day!!!




Paczki Day
Traditionally, the reason for making paczki has been to use up all the lard, sugar, eggs and fruit in the house, which are forbidden during Lent. They are eaten especially on Fat Thursday, the last Thursday before Lent (Polish: Tłusty czwartek, not to be confused with Fat Tuesday or Shrove Tuesday). In Chicago, Detroit, Hamtramck, Milwaukee, and South Bend Paczki Day is more commonly celebrated on Fat Tuesday instead of Fat Thursday.


Paczki Day In America
Although Bismarcks and Jelly-filled doughnuts are the more commonly used names for the pastry in the United States, Polish immigrants have popularized this type of preserve-filled doughnut in some parts of the country, especially in Hamtramck, an enclave of Detroit. Hamtramck is known to be the only U.S. city to organize an annual Paczki-Day (Fat Tuesday) Parade, and lines can be seen up to 24 hours before the deep-fried delights go on sale at the numerous local bakeries. Many bars in town open early in the morning, and provide free entertainment, a party atmosphere, and even Paczki-clad mascots. The Paczki-Day celebration in this town is even larger than many areas have for St. Patrick's Day. Here, prunes are considered the traditional filling, but many others are used as well, including lemon, strawberry, Bavarian cream, blueberry, custard, raspberry, and rarely apple. Due to French influence, paczki are eaten on Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday) rather than on Fat Thursday. In the large Polish community of Chicago, and other large cities across the Midwest, paczki day is also celebrated annually by immigrants and locals alike.


Home-made paczki glazed with fondant.Another cultural phenomenon is the emergence of the "Paczki Challenge." A eating contest in which individuals attempt to race from one side of a room (non - standard) while eating as much or as many Paczki as they can before reaching the other side. The person to reach first and having eaten the most Paczkis wins. Typically a ratio of 1 Paczki for every 10 steps is considered competitive.

I looked to see if there was something that showed the lines that people wait in to get their paczkis, but couldn't find that. I did however find a great article with a video about how paczkis are made, and how they are in demand in Hamtramck, a tiny Polish town in Detroit.

Click the link...(You'll have to click the video play button, to the right of the article)
http://www.wxyz.com/news/story.aspx?content_id=871a8a38-7304-41ff-b9fe-578cb9f34b18