Monday, February 27, 2006

I feel for you, O My People!

The only way to explain the spike in hits for this humble blog today is....

PACZKI DAY!

So happy Paczki Day to you and yours. Those of you living in Michigan are having a happier Paczki Day than those of us in upstate South Carolina, where there is narry a paczek to be found.

Can't you just hear the tears and lamentations, beating of breasts and tearing of hair?

Looking through my site meter today it is one after the other: "fat+tuesday+paczkis" and from the non-Poles "fat+tuesday+donuts" or "Polish+filled+donut."

Then, of course, the sad, sad, saddest of them all: "paczki+calories." And I feel for you, O Lovers of the Great Jelly-filled Delight! According to buzz-killa Dr. Peter McCullough, M.D., Medical Director of the Beaumont Weight Control Center, "A typical five ounce paczki contains about 420 calories, 25 or more grams of fat, and is loaded with refined carbohydrates which are directly converted into fat." radiospike has more depressing data, but a brighter spirit (and a very tempting photo!):
The more modern idea is to see if you can physically digest 620 calories in less than two minutes. Hamtramck's famous bakeries supply Paczki in the thousands that day to Detroiters of all nationalities. Take them to work! Take them home! Take them to Texas!

But you know, ultimately it is not the calorie-counters I feel most sorry for. No, no. It is the people who type into google or yahoo "colorado+paczki" and "paczki+greenville" and "order+north+dakota+paczki." These are the poor displaced souls, desperately searching the internet for what most eludes them. I feel for you, O My People.

And if anyone knows a source for mail-order paczki and can get me the info before next February, I'd be so very grateful.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yes, I'm one of those poor souls googling colorado+paczki. I did the same thing last year. Every year I search up and down for paczki's in Colorado but have found none to no avail. I'm making my own this year. Anyhow, as I was saying I was searching again and stumbled across your blog and had to laugh. Thought you'd like to know I called every bakery I could find in Hamtramack to see if they ship but I was told "no" from each place I called. Please post if you find any place to mail order them.
Desparate in Colorado. - JR

Unknown said...

I found your blog by doing a Google search for Greenville and paczki. I moved here from Indiana but I never would have if I had known I would have to give up my paczkis! I discovered them in Indiana (happily) about five years ago and I've been looking everywhere.

Noooooooo.

Anonymous said...

I am a native Southeastern Michigander now living in Maryland...and I too have been searching for my beloved paczkis. No one here has even heard of them....much less experienced the sheer joy and pain that comes from sampling every different type of paczki your coworkers brought to the office before lunch on Fat Tuesday, lol. I've yet to find a place that will ship them to me...time to call old friends back in Ann Arbor and have them run to the bakery and the post office post haste......

Anonymous said...

I'm resurecting this post because I'm clinging to the thin and unrealistic hope that strength in numbers will bring us paczki here in Colorado! I moved to Englewood from Michigan. I have found "Polish donuts" that come somewhat close but they're never quite the same. We actually got somebody to ship them from Hamtramck once, but they wouldn't repeat the deed. Same story wit alla dem UP pasties, eh? But I digress.

Anonymous said...

In my office (here in Greenville), most positive life events oblige one to bring donuts for the office morning break. Since the Red Wings won the Stanley Cup, I'm on the hook to buy. Dunkin Donuts is the default, but I'm looking for a Detroit/Michigan food to supply. I see we're still looking for a paczki source!

Isis said...

Ah, and then what if you could add Bell's Beer to the mix?

Go Wings!

Anonymous said...

So it's another Fat Tuesday, and no Paczki here in San Francisco either. I had to settle for a jelly donut today. :( But I did google mail order for next year and found a place online that ships them year round. here is the URL:
http://www.polana.com/product/960/83

Anonymous said...

I am in the same boat a lot of you are in. I lived in Michigan my whole life and don't remember a time where we didn't eat Paczki once a year. Last year I moved to Montana and everyone looks at me like I am crazy when I ask where I can buy some. Even people working in the bakeries here have never heard of them, And when I try to describe what they are the response I get is "oh you mean jelly doughnuts" Ugh. If they were JUST jelly doughnuts, I would buy stupid boring jelly doughnuts. I miss my Paczki.

Anonymous said...

I too am a sorry soul looking for Paczki in Colorado... I ask everyone I know and am always met with confused expressions... A what? A Pooonch-key? What is that? And I sigh and shake my head as I walk away mumbling that the have no idea what delectable goodness the crazy Coloradoans have been missing out on their whole lives.

Anonymous said...

I too am originally from SE Michigan now living in northern Colorado - my son found the Royal Bakery in Arvada, a Polish bakery who has paczki!