Pączki go national — but the Midwest makes the best
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Traditional Polish pączki are now sold at Costco and in large grocers across the nation. Photo: Monica Eng/Axios
Once a quaint Midwest Polish-American tradition, Pączki Day has exploded across the U.S. in recent years, with these rich, jelly- and custard-filled doughnuts showing up in Florida, Texas and even Georgia in the run-up to Fat Tuesday.
Catch up quick: Like king cake in New Orleans and pancakes in England, Polish pączki are traditionally eaten the Tuesday before Lent starts to use up leftover fat and sugar as observants prepare to fast.
- The plural pączki is pronounced POAN-chkee and singular pączek is POAN-chek.
- While they may look like jelly doughnuts, their dough is enriched with egg, milk and butter and they boast traditional fillings of prune and rose petal jam.
The intrigue: One place Paczki Day hasn't yet taken hold appears to be New Orleans, where Axios reporter Carlie Wells says, "I've never seen them in New Orleans. We are firmly a king cake city."
Zoom in: While Axios' OG pączki cities welcome newcomers to the party, we're proud of our heritage and pączki innovations that make the holiday even more fun.
Chicago
Chicago: Here we celebrate both the traditional Polish Fat Thursday (Feb. 12) and Tuesday (Feb. 17), when you'll find long lines outside neighborhood bakeries and big grocers alike.
Pączki plus: Chicago's Marz Community Brewing Co. will showcase chocolatey paczki stout and a new purple ube pączki beer at its Pączki Fest this weekend.
Local pączki picks: "I love the Jameson whiskey and chocolate pączek ($3.69) at Delightful Pastries, where folks can also sign up for pączki making lessons," says Axios Chicago reporter Monica Eng.
- Our readers also shared their faves.
Detroit
Once a specialty of Joseph Campau Street in Hamtramck, an enclave with deep Polish roots, pączki are now served all over metro Detroit and much of Michigan.
Pączki plus: Try Detroit City Distillery's "Pączki Day" vodka" ($35), made by distilling real raspberry pączki into a blend of Polish and Michigan potato vodka.
Local pączki pick: Axios Detroit reporter Annalise Frank still thinks about the Dubai chocolate pączki from New Palace Bakery in Hamtramck a few years ago.
- But she's excited to try this year's cinnamon cream and cookie butter flavors at the family-owned bakery that dates back to 1908 and attracts lines out the door around Fat Tuesday.
Cleveland
You can find these fried doughnuts in much of Ohio (especially Northeast) leading up to Lent along with festivals that mark the beginning and end of the season with Dyngus Day.
Pączki plus: In suburban Parma, Rudy's Strudel makes some of the nation's only savory pączki ($2.95–$3.45), filled with sauerkraut & sausage, ham and eggs, potato & cheese, and corned beef & cabbage, but only in the month before Lent.
Local pączki picks: "Rudy's may well be the pączki capital of the universe. The savory options are a novelty, but I tend to gravitate toward apple, maple bacon or chocolate buttercream," says Axios Cleveland's Sam Allard.
- "The real Cleveland homies will also appreciate the nod to Cleveland's Hough Bakery — Rudy's offers a pączki filled with its famous almond-flavored buttercream."
Pittsburgh
These staples of the region's old-school bakeries are also now widely available across the metro area, including in big grocery stores.
Pączki plus: Leona's, an ice cream shop in the city, is serving pączki ice cream with a rose hip-strawberry swirl.
Local pączki picks: "S&D Polish Deli is arguably the most Polish place in Pittsburgh and their Nutella buttercream pączki are my favorite," says Axios Pittsburgh's Ryan Deto.
- "Oakmont Bakery — 20 minutes north of the city — has the biggest variety of flavors, including cookie dough, coconut creme and maple bacon."