It’s that day again! The day when part of the population says “Happy Paczki Day!” while the other part says, “What’s a paczki?”
More commonly, you may know today as Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday. It’s the last day before Lent, and everyone who’s celebrating is trying to sneak in a little light gluttony. Paczki (pronounced “PUNCH-key”) originated in eastern Europe, when observers of Lent needed to use up the last sugar, butter, lard – all the good stuff, before giving it up for 40 days. What better way to do this than to mix together a sugary dough and fry it all up?
Paczki are essentially amped-up donuts, filled with jelly and dusted with powdered sugar. Usually the grocery stores around Columbus will carry them, but you should really be seeking out local versions from Buckeye Donuts and Destination Donuts.
And if you’re celebrating Mardi Gras today, hit up a local New Orleans-themed spot, like Da Levee or Creole Kitchen. La Chatelaine is even doing a Mardi Gras dinner.
