Fats Tuesday aka Paczki Day

Joyful Fats Tuesday everybody!

We’ve arrived on the day earlier than Lent, the place everybody loses their minds and indulges earlier than 40 days of meatless Mondays and barbeque Fridays. Chicago, whereas having religion from all corners of the world, is an extremely Catholic-centric metropolis – form of like New Orleans. Rising up within the Christian religion I didn’t perceive why youngsters confirmed as much as faculty with darkish smudges on their foreheads on a Wednesday. My mother, born and raised within the Catholic Church, gently defined to me the importance of Ash Wednesday and the season of Lent.

I’ve buddies from all walks of life. King Cake, Rosca de Reyes, and paczki are all aside of my life throughout Mardi Gras season – my particular favourite being paczki. Time for a little bit historical past. Paczki (pronounced poonch-key) is a conventional Polish donut like confection began in Center Ages to make use of up butter, sugar, and fruit so that they wouldn’t spoil earlier than Lent. Historically Paczki Day is Fats Thursday, the Thursday earlier than Ash Wednesday. Right here in Chicago, Paczki Day is Fats Tuesday.

The most well-liked paczki are custard crammed or crammed with contemporary strawberries and cream. My favourite bakery is Weber’s on the south aspect, dwelling to Irish, Italian, Polish, and Mexican Catholics alike. In my humble opinion (and several other thousand south siders), Weber’s paczki are the ONLY paczki. My alarm wakes me up at 2:30AM to go stand in line so I can get them contemporary after they open at 4AM. Right this moment raspberry crammed topped with peanut butter, Oreo crammed topped with Oreo crumbs, contemporary strawberry and whipped cream, and a billion (give or take) cream cheese custard crammed make it dwelling with me. Heaven! Absolute heaven.

So, what does it style like? Basically a cream crammed donut, however on steroids. The pastry is gentle and fluffy and the filling just isn’t overly candy. I’m an enormous fan of cream cheese on all the things and having a pastry crammed with it’s a dream.

Final yr was my first yr making the early morning trek to Weber’s, and naturally I made it on native ABC Information that morning. It solely is smart. This yr I’m bringing a buddy, Breyon, in fact, to hitch within the festivities. Although I’m not Catholic, nor do I take part within the season of Lent, this custom makes me really feel actually Chicagoan. In case you can stand the temperatures, please go to subsequent yr to get a paczki and let it change your dang life. I positively plan on flying some to Pleasure subsequent yr for Mardi Gras weekend.

In case you’re celebrating as we speak be protected and bathe off all of the glitter afterwards!