Pick Up Pączki Tomorrow to Celebrate Fat Tuesday

If you observe Lent, then you most likely have started the countdown to Feb. 22—Ash Wednesday and the beginning of 40 days of fasting, or the very least, giving up sweets until Easter.

The little time left—called Mardi Gras, Carnival, Carnevale or Fasnacht in parts of the world—will be celebrated with partying and indulgence until the last second of Fat Tuesday, which ends at midnight Feb. 21.

A Polish tradition is to celebrate the last six days of Carnival, known as zapusty, beginning on Fat Thursday (Tłusty Czwartek) when pączki (pronounced POHNCH-kee or POONCH-kee, singular is pączek, pronounced POHNCH-ek) are eaten. In America, pączki can be found in bakeries on Fat Tuesday or Pączki Day, Feb. 21.

Pączki is Polish for “little package.” And here's where you can find those sweet little packages tomorrow in Farmington and Farmington Hills:

Sunflour Bakehaus

The bakery is taking orders through Monday evening for pączki and Mardi Gras King Cakes; call 248-442-2360. They'll have some on hand, but those will go quickly. Pączki are $13 a dozen or $1.25 each, and King Cakes are $15 per quarter sheet or $9 for an 8-inch round, with beads and a baby trinket. 

Kroger

This chain has two locations in Farmington Hills, 25780 Middlebelt Rd. and 37550 W 12 Mile Rd. Find your favorite pączki flavors boxed up in 6-count packages for $3.99.

Busch’s Fresh Food Market 

Busch’s pączki, made from scratch from an Old World recipe they’ve been using for over 20 years, come in Bavarian crème, raspberry, strawberry, apple, lemon, chocolate, blueberry and prune. They're sold individually at 99 cents, or $4.99 for a half-dozen, and $9.49 for a dozen.