When Does Paczki Season Start in Michigan?

It only comes but once a year!

The other day I found myself day-dreaming about a delicious fish fry and fruit-filled pastries and wondered: when does Lent start this year?

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This year Ash Wednesday and the Catholic holy season begins on Wednesday, March 5. That means Mardi Gras/Fat Tuesday and pączki season is basically already here!

What Are Pączki?

A Polish tradition pączki (pronounced "poonch-key") are essentially donuts however, while these fried pieces of dough look and taste similar to donuts they differ in that pączki are made from an especially rich dough of eggs, fat, and sugar. I didn't know it was possible to make such an unhealthy snack even more unhealthy, but the Polish have found a way.

I typically associate pączki with Fat Tuesday but in Poland it's tradition to consume your pączki on Fat Thursday  which is, "the last Thursday prior to Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent." This year Fat Thursday falls on February 25.

I haven't made a Meijer run this week but several sources have confirmed they have both seen and purchased pączki from local Kalamazoo-area stores. I wonder if we can expect to see higher pączki prices this year considering the rising cost of eggs due to the bird flu outbreak.

While flavors like strawberry, cherry, and custard are among the most popular pączki fillings I am being 100% serious when I say that prune is my favorite pączki flavor.

Actually, what happens is I always forget it's pączki season and by the time I realize they're in stock, they've essentially sold out and the only flavor that's left? Prune. After years and years of being late to the pączki party, I've grown to love the dried plum in all its pruney goodness.

Have you found any local Michigan bakeries selling pączki yet?