Pączki, pączki, pączki!

Pączki are traditional pastries in Polish cuisine. Although they look like German berliners, North American bismarcks or jelly doughnuts, pączki are made from dough containing eggs, sugar, yeast, fats and sometimes milk.

The Polish word pączki /ˈpɔːntʃki/ is the plural form of the Polish word pączek [ˈpɔnt͡ʂɛk]. Pączek itself is a diminutive of pąk. In other Slavonic countries, pączki also appear in the cuisine but are called a bit different (or maybe actually similar): Russia: ponchiki; Bulgaria: ponichki, Ukraine: pampushky. In some other countries we can find: ponchik in Armenia, koblihy in Czech Republic, munkki in Finland, spurgos in Lithuania, šišky in Slovakia and sufganiyah in Israel.

In Poland pączki are usually eaten on Fat Thursday, the last Thursday before Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent. Pączki have been known in Poland already since Middle Ages as one of the Polish historians described them during the reign of August III. So why exactly people did pączki in particular? According to the tradition for making them people had to use lard, sugar, eggs and fruit because their consumption was forbidden by Catholic fasting practices during Lent. Pączki became lighter, spongier and more resilent thanks to the influence of French cooks who had come to Poland.

Pączki are slightly flattened pieces of dough (wheat flour) fried in deep fat till they reach the color of dark or light gold. Traditionally they are stuffed with jam or jelly before frying. Ready pączki are usually covered with powdered sugar, icing, glaze, candied orange peel or clearing chocolate. Of course you can buy pączki in a confectionery but the best ones are homemade! Mmmm... PYSZNE! :)

 

Photos by: Silar, Rmhermen, MOs810, Aw58

 

Beata Jaranowska

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