Pączki

Traditional pączki

Assorted pączki in America

Pączki (pronounced: ['pɔ̃ʧki]) [listen] ([Media helphelp]·[info]) are traditional Polish doughnuts. Pączki is the plural form of the word pączek (pronounced: ['pɔ̃ʧek]) in Polish, but many English speakers use paczki as singular and paczkis as plural.

A pączek is a deep-fried piece of dough shaped into a flattened sphere and filled with jam or other sweet filling. A traditional filling is marmalade made from fried rose buds. Fresh pączki are usually covered with powdered sugar, icing or bits of fried orange zest.

Traditionally, the reason for making pączki has been to use up all the lard, sugar 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). Polish immigrants have popularized this type of doughnut in some parts of the United States, especially in Metro Detroit, where the word is often pronounced [puntʃki]. Here, prunes are considered the traditional filling, but many others are used as well, including lemon, strawberry, Bavarian cream, and raspberry. Due to French influence, paczki are eaten on Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday) rather than on Fat Thursday. In the Polish community in Hamtramck, a Detroit enclave, an American-style Paczki Day Parade is organized annually on Mardi Gras (also known as Paczki Day in the region).

Home-made paczki glazed with fondant

In Russian cuisine, the word "pączki" transformed into "pyshki" (especially in St. Petersburg) and "пончики", ponchiki. The latter may refer to both "pączki" and "pirozhki". In Ukrainian cuisine they are called "пампушки", pampushky.

In German, a "pączek" is called a Berliner and in Modern Hebrew, Sufganiyah.

Pączki

See also: