'Anybody can be Polish on paczki day:' Blak's Bakery celebrates 100th anniversary

Detroit radio legend J.P. McCarthy can be credited with the popularity of paczkis. That's according to Valerie Blak-Gill, owner of Blak'sBakery on LangloisAvenue.

"He started really kind of pushing the whole paczki idea and the idea took off from there," she said. "That would have been about 30-plus years ago."

Paczki Day is coming

7 years ago

Duration 0:52

Blaks Bakery on Langlois Avenue is making 35,000 paczki for Fat Tuesday.

Whether or not McCarthy can be credited, the paczki's popularity has flourished. Blak'sis only one of a few Windsor bakeriesto make the fat-laden, fruit-filled pastries. How many, you ask? Thirty-five thousand.That's enough to treat every Leamington resident, and still have some to spare.

The super-sized doughnuts are a Polish tradition eaten onShrove Tuesday, the day before the Christian Lenten fast.

"Everyone who's Polish knows what a paczkiis," said Blak-Gill but adds, "Anybody can be Polish on PaczkiDay."

Staff at the bakery were there in full force yesterday. With a regular staff of around 20, the store was abuzz with between 40 and 50 people throughout the day.

The store is celebrating its 100thanniversary this year.

Curious about other bakeries across Windsor-Essex that are ready to fill you paczkifix? Check out this handy guide from Tourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island.