One Illinois Sandwich Shop Created a Spicy Paczki In Honor of Fat Tuesday

Fat Tuesday is meant to be celebrated by eating paczki and King Cake, but one Italian sandwich shop in Chicago decided to put its own spin on a paczki this year, and it's available for one day only.

How Is a Paczki Different From a Donut?

It seems like there are always 2 big questions that get brought up in regard to paczkis:

     1. How do you pronounce paczki? Everyone seems to have their own pronunciation of the famous Polish treat, but here's some helpful insight into how to say the word CORRECTLY...

2. How is a paczki different from a donut? Here is the answer according to        webstaurantstore.com;

The difference between paczki and donuts is the ingredients in their dough. Paczki uses an extra amount of enriching ingredients, yeast, grain alcohol, and high-gluten flour. Together, these create a richer-than-brioche dough, but far chewier with little to no crumbs.

Now that we've established what makes a paczki greater than a regular jelly donut, please allow me to introduce you to the new, spicy brother of paczkis courtesy of one Italian restaurant in Chicago, Illinois.

Italian Sandwich Shop in Chicago Introduces a New Giardiniera Flavored Paczki

In honor of Fat Tuesday, an Italian sandwich shop called J.P. Graziano located on W Randolph Street in Chicago created a new flavor of paczki that honor two big sides of the city's history.

Say hello to the Giardiniera Paczki...

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Block Club Chicago says the creation of this unique paczki flavor started as a dare that ended in a sweet treat with a spicy custard filling.

J.P. Graciano's owner, Jim Graziano, told Block Club Chicago;

It’s about spreading the Chicago love, bringing together two distinctly Chicago foods — paczki and giardiniera — was “silly enough to run with".

But how was this unique treat actually created? Basically, the giardiniera seasoning was melted, and mixed into vanilla custard.

Will the Polish population in Chicago appreciate this spicy twist on their beloved dessert? I guess we'll have to wait and see, but I'd be willing to try it! Would you?