Kitchener, Ont. bakery marks pre-Lenten tradition with popular Polish pastry

A beloved Fat Tuesday tradition has returned to a Kitchener bakery.

A bakery in Kitchener, Ont. was bustling Tuesday as customers lined up for a tasty Polish treat.

Row after row of pączki, doughnuts with a jam filling, were fried up for Fat Tuesday.

The sweet tradition is not only a way to indulge before the start of Lent, but uses up any leftover ingredients, like lard, sugar, eggs and fruit that may spoil before the end of the fasting period.

“That comes from history, from centuries ago, that you’re supposed to finish eating all that stuff,” explained Jolanta Konduros, the co-owner of Nougat Bakery. “During Lent you will be eating only very simple meals.”

In North America, Fat Thursday has evolved alongside other pre-Lenten traditions such as Shrove Tuesday (Pancake Day) and Mardi Gras, which are typically observed on Fat Tuesday.

Konduros said Fat Thursday is usually their busiest day at the bakery, with as many as 800 to 900 pastries prepared in a range of flavours including rose, plum, raspberry and apple cinnamon.

“This is where people eat as many as possible,” she said. “If you eat them, then it’s good luck.”

On Fat Tuesday, the team produces closer to 500 pastries and sees a broader mix of customers.

“Fat Thursday is a little bit slower, but it’s still very popular because it’s the last day,” Konduros said. “[Tuesday] is a lot more North American, multicultural people coming in than Polish people.”

She attributes the strong turnout to the region’s well-established Polish community, with immigration waves dating back to the post-war period and again in the 1980s.

Nougat Bakery offers traditional deep-fried pączki, as well as a baked version which Konduros said has grown in popularity as a lighter alternative. Traditional recipes often include a small amount of alcohol to prevent excess grease absorption in the dough, while the baked varieties do not.

The pastries are rolled by hand, made with fresh yeast, and brushed with an egg mixture before baking to achieve a golden finish. Fillings are injected and then the doughnuts are topped with icing or ganache, depending on the jam flavour. Konduros said rose and plum are the most popular choices.

For one longtime customer, the tradition is about more than the pastry itself.

“I actually enjoy buying these every year because I like eating them with the grandkids,” explained Tim Hart. “They’re just going to get them all over their face and I’m just going to laugh because they’re going to enjoy them so much.”