The Pocket History of Pączki

By Natalia Mętrak-Ruda 
January 19, 2027

Pre-orders now open!

The Long, Delicious Journey of Pączki From Warsaw To Cleveland 

Fried dough, traditionally filled with rose hip jelly, and celebrated one day of the year: pączki is a deceptively simple dish with a long history. In this delectable snack of a book, Natalia Mętrak-Ruda tells us about pączki's ancient origins, its pride of place in the Polish culinary tradition, and how chefs are now reinventing the pastry in Warsaw and other Polish restaurants. Stateside, pączki (don't call it a donut!) also has a long history that is only now being rediscovered and celebrated in bakeries in Chicago, Detroit, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and other places where Polish-Americans congregate.

With an introduction on Polish-American bakeries and their revived Rust Belt pączki traditions by Andrew Moore, and featuring both traditional and newfangled recipes, this charming and informative book will help you start your own Pączki Day celebration, or be a perfect gift for the Polish-American, pączki-loving person in your life.

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Natalia Mętrak-Ruda is a writer, culinary journalist and literary translator based in Warsaw. She has a PhD in cultural studies and published a book on the history of vegetarianism in 2022. For over a decade she has been collaborating with the English section of Culture.pl, introducing foreigners to the intricacies of Polish cuisine. Currently she's working on the Polish translation of some of Anthony Bourdain's writings. She lives in the beautiful Bielany district with her husband, son, and cat. 

9781540270337 | 5 x 7 | Paperback