Paczki or doughnut? Chicago bakery Delightful Pasties explains the difference on Paczki Day

It may look like a traditional American doughnut, but the differences between the popular American treat and the Polish pastries called Paczkis -- pronounced "puhnch-kee -- are "huge," Dobra Bielinski of Delightful Pastries in Portage Park told NBC Chicago, as dozens of customers lined up outside her bakery early Tuesday for Paczki Day.

"A doughnut has water, salt, sugar, yeast. Paczek has eggs, yolks, lemon oil, milk, butter, and lots of eggs," Bielnski said. "You can see the difference."

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Bielinski also noted that paczek has only a thin glaze on top. "We eat it for the dough as much as the filling," she said. "When you eat it, it doesn't collapse. It fluffs right back up."

In a Smithsonian article from February of 2023, Bielinski noted that paczki dough is richer and denser than a doughnut. It's complemented by a sweet fruit preserve filling, a thin glaze on top, a hint of orange or lemon peel, or even a trace of rose.

One of the customers in line at the Chicago bakery agreed.

"It's got the real deal," Joseph Litza said, before breaking out into his family's special Paczki song. "If a place has rose filling in it, it's the real deal. That comes directly from my wife, and she's from Poland."

While many in the Chicago area Tuesday will be celebrating Fat Tuesday with traditional Mardi Gras food, others will enjoying delicious Polish pastries known as Paczki.

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The fried pastries, pronounced "puhnch-kee," date back to the 1700s, when people would traditionally use up foods "luxurious" foods like lard and sugar to ensure they wouldn't be wasted during Lent, a 40-day period of fasting in Christianity.

"Families would use up their eggs, butter and sugar and fruit by treating themselves one last time before Lent began with these rich donuts," an article from the Michigan State University extension said.

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Joseph Litza, who grew up in the Portage Park neighborhood, explains why the paczki at Delightful Pastries are the "real deal" -- and then serenades NBC 5's Sandra Torres with his family's special 'Paczki Day' song.

Early Tuesday morning, bakers at Delightful Pastries wearing pink "Got Paczki?" shirts had their hands full in the kitchen, preparing hundreds of paczki orders ahead of opening at 6 a.m. Outside, a line had already formed.

"People love our paczki," Bielinski told NBC Chicago. "It's a nice celebration. As they say at Mardi Gras, 'let the good times roll.' It's a great wonderful tradition that goes back, and it's nice to follow in the steps of others -- and it's fun stuff."

The paczki tradition quickly expanded to Chicago and other communities where a large number of Polish individuals settled during the 20th century. Since then, many people have come to enjoy paczki -- regardless of their background or religion.

Looking to get your hands on some paczki, or maybe you want to try it for the first time? Here's a list of more than 30 bakeries and grocery stores in the Chicago area serving up the sweet treats.

Where to find paczki in and around Chicago:

Chicago:

Ace Bakery, 3241 S. Halsted St.
Alliance Bakery, 1736 W. Division St.
Andy's Deli & Bakery Mikolajczyk Sausage Shop, 5442 N Milwaukee Ave.
Bridgeport Bakery 2.0, 2907 S. Archer Ave.
Big Kids, 2545 N Kedzie Blvd.
Delightful Pastries, 5927 W. Lawrence Ave.
Do-Rite Donuts, multiple locations at 1027 W. Addison St., 835 N. Michigan Ave., 181 N. Morgan St., 233 E. Erie St. and 50 W. Randolph St.
Firecakes Donuts, multiple locations including 68 W. Hubbard St., 2453 N. Clark St. and 205 W. Wacker Dr.
Kolatek's Bakery - 2445 N. Harlem Ave. and in Palatine
Huck Finn Restaurants, Oak Lawn, South Archer and South Pulaski
Racine Bakery, 6216 S. Archer Ave.
Roeser's Bakery, 3216 W. North Ave.
Smack Dab Chicago, 6730 North Clark Street
Stan's Donuts, multiple locations including 1560 N. Damen Ave., 28 E. Roosevelt Rd., 2800 N. Clark St. and 259 E. Erie St.
Vanille Patisserie, Lincoln Park and West Loop Gate (Partnership with Benninson’s Bakery)
"Original" Ferrara Bakery, 2210 W. Taylor St.
Toni Patisserie and Café, Hinsdale and Loop locations
Weber's Bakery, 7055 W. Archer Ave.