Locals celebrate by devouring Polish confectionery before Lent

MARQUETTE — Today, Huron Mountain Bakery in Marquette serves nearly 3,000 people throughout the day. Lauren Lee stopped in this morning to check out the scene.

People come in to buy p?czki on Fat Tuesday, which is the catholic celebration the day before Lent, a time for fasting, prayer and giving.

“That is the traditional flavor but not a lot of people want a prune p?czek,” Prodution manager Rachel Freeman said. “The p?czek is you kinda take a regular doughnuts, you add extra butter extra sugar, extra eggs, and you roll it all in a bunch of sugar, and that’s pretty much how you make a p?czek…. The atmosphere is very busy, very fast pace we have a lot of customers. We need to move as quick as possible so we don’t get a back lot of people.”

According to Freeman the most popular flavor is Bavarian which is custard filled.

The bakery made 14,600 p?czki this year.

Huron Mountain Bakery is open today from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m., and according to the bakery no p?czek will be left by the end of the day.

Some customers are first timers, others make stopping in a tradition, and some even know the history behind the sweet Fat Tuesday Treat.

I don’t really have a favorite one I just like them all. I head they have the best in town. Come in and try one.

Before Lent they would get all the sugar and butter in the house and use it Freeman said it’s not unusual the story has a first time paczki buyer– the staff is always ready to help pair customers with the perfect p?czki for them.