It's Time to Celebrate Paczkis Day!

By Laura Oppenheimer in Food on Feb 20, 2007 4:45PM

Fat Tuesday, Shmat Tuesday. As far as we are concerned, today is about one thing only, eating delicious deep-fried, fruit-filled, often-frosted paczkis. For the non-Polish, non-native Chicagoans, paczkis are traditional Polish donuts, often served on Fat Thursday, except in Chicago and Detroit where they are served today — today being Paczkis Day.

Besides being delicious, paczkis serve a purpose for Polish Catholics; they use up all the sugar, lard and fruit in the house, which are all ingredients forbidden during Lent. And it seems that people can't get enough of them; both Central Continental Bakery in Mount Prospect and Oak Mill Bakery in Arlington Heights will sell 100,000 paczkis each.

In Chicago, you can pick up a pack of paczkis (try saying that five times fast) at either Alliance Bakery or the West Belmont Ann Sather. If you are feeling brave and want to bust out the deep fryer, here is an assortment of recipes that we can in no way vouch for.

Image via Rachelle Bowden.