Food historians tell us fried dough has been enjoyed by people since Ancient Rome. Variations are endless, including doughnuts, waffles, struffoli, and zeppole. Many are traditionally connected with religious holidays and street fairs.
Fr Jedrej Kitowitcz noted in his Descriptions of Customs during the reign of Augustus III that Polish doughnuts could compete with the famous Viennese doughnuts. (Old Polish Traditions: In the Kitchen and at the Table, Maria Lemnis and Henryk Vitry, 1996)...
... Rumors say that famous berliners or bismarks – German style jelly-doughnuts were brought there by a Polish tent-circus is 18th century, on the market day, stayed forever and even went afterwards to the coast of the US in early 1800...
... In Poland, eating doughnuts had always something to do with festivities. Famous Polish Tlusty Czwartek (Shrove Tuesday) is a huge carnival celebration, like the one in Rio de Janeiro or in Venice. Locals line up at the bakeries as early as 3am on Fat Thursday to ensure they get their batch, as it is believed that the more doughnuts one eats on this day, the more happiness and luck he will have in the upcoming future.
The fillings for our doughnuts are strawberry jam, chocolate caramel and vanilla custard cream. How scrumptious is that!
