Graham Jaehnig/Daily Mining Gazette Paczkis at Roy's Bakery of Houghton are ready for the Fat Tuesday crowd that are sure to gobble them up.

HOUGHTON – In New Orleans, Fat Tuesday means Mardi Gras. Around here the day is all about paczkis. Tradition says the pÄ…czkis, so loved throughout the Midwest, were brought to the U.S. by Polish immigrants in the early 1900s.

Dating to the Middle Ages, they symbolize indulgence before the 40-day Lenten fast, which begins on Ash Wednesday in many Western Christian traditions. Over the centuries, the tradition of pÄ…czkis came to be celebrated on the day before Ash Wednesday, or Shrove Tuesday. In French, Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday. Fat Tuesday represents the final day of indulgence before the fasting begins.

PÄ…czkis, essentially delicious over-stuffed bismarks, are a seasonal favorite in the Copper Country.

Roy Narhi, owner of Roy’s Bakery in Houghton, says the pÄ…czki has been long been a tradition not only in the Upper Peninsula, but in Lower Michigan, as well.

“I’ve kept it here since 2001,” he said. “We take orders and we have a large showcase full of pÄ…czkis.”

Narhi says he tries to make enough to last throughout most of the day, but that can be difficult.

“They go fast,” he said.

Narhi said all the flavors he offers in his other bakeries are used in his pÄ…czkis.

“That included white cream, chocolate cream, blueberry, strawberry,” he said, “and we make a few prune-filled.”

Narhi said the most popular type are chocolate cream, white cream, and Bavarian cream-filled.

Fat Tuesday is also a busy day for pÄ…czkis at Marketplace Foods, formerly Tadych’s, also in Houghton.

Savannah, a bakery assistant at Marketplace, said all the flavors they offer seem to be equally popular.

While pÄ…czkis are typically available only on Fat Tuesday, they can, and often are, enjoyed any day of the day of the week throughout the year, even if only via their smaller cousin, the bismarck.