Mardi Gras Food

Today is Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday, a day of indulgence before the sacrifices of Lent.

Many people around the country celebrate, especially in Louisiana.

And to the Polish–American community, this is Paczki day.

A paczki is a Polish pastry, similar to a filled doughnut with extra-rich batter.

Bakeries were up all night frying the treats.

Benjamin Hayes of the Huron Mountain Bakery in Marquette made 14,000 paczkis in about 24 hours.

He says they were made on Mardi Gras to use up all the eggs, sugar and lard in the house before Lent so that Catholics could fast.

Paczkis can be filled with anything from chocolate to prunes.

Another Mardi Gras food tradition is the king cake, which contains a figurine of a baby.

Whoever has the piece of cake with the baby inside is supposed to buy the next cake or host the next party.

Posted by: Mike Hoey