What's the Best Spot for Paczki in Royal Oak? You Said Hermann's Bakery

Tuesday is Mardi Gras — or as it's better known around here, Fat Tuesday. And in Metro Detroit, that means one thing: pączki.

Sugar, eggs and fat are traditionally combined to create pączki, traditional Polish doughnuts filled with fruit or cream and dusted with powdered sugar or glazed.

The Polish tradition is to celebrate the last six days of Carnival, known as zapusty, beginning on Fat Thursday (Tłusty Czwartek) when pączki (fried doughnuts) are eaten. In America, pączki can be found in bakeries on Fat Tuesday or Pączki Day, Feb. 12.

The baking and consumption of pączki began as a practical matter. Pączki were made as a way to use up the lard and eggs that were prohibited during the ancient observance of Lent. Now, they’re part of a last-minute binge on sweets before the sacrifice begins.

So what's the best spot to find paczki in Royal Oak? Last year, we asked Royal Oak Patch readers where you can find the . Thirty-four percent of you said Hermann's Bakery.

Other local favorites include:

• Food Palace
• Main Donut Shop
• Dunkin' Donuts
• Astoria Pastry Shop
• Hermann's Bakery
• Tim Hortons

What's your favorite spot to pick up paczki around Royal Oak? Let us know in the comments below!