Here's How Rising Egg Prices Could Impact Pączki Day

The soaring price of eggs continues to impact consumers all over the country. The rising prices began in 2023 due to an avian flu outbreak and has recently caused businesses such as Waffle House and Denny's to add a surcharge on any meals containing eggs. In addition, several stores are limiting the number of eggs people can buy. 

But now, the eggy epidemic is coming for our holidays. Mardi Gras, also known as Fat Tuesday, also happens to be Pączki Day, a day in which millions of Polish pastries called pączki are bought and consumed. These are fried pastries which bear an uncanny resemblance to jelly donuts. However, pączki are much richer than the latter due to extra butter and eggs in the dough. If pączki are filled with custard instead of jam, even more eggs are required.

Because eggs have become precious commodities both in availability and price, people will likely be paying more per pączki during the upcoming celebration. In places like Chicago, Detroit, New York, and Buffalo, many people look forward to the limited release of pączki in the days leading up to the season of Lent. It's not uncommon to see lines out the doors of bakeries who make them. Bakeries are now having to navigate the challenge of both finding enough eggs to fill their orders and the dilemma of having to raise their prices so they don't lose money.

If you don't live in an area with a large Polish population, you may have never heard of these pastries or about the day devoted to them. The excitement and devotion towards pączki could be compared to the popular king cakes, which also make a limited time appearance around Fat Tuesday. And, although these types of foods can be made any time of the year at home, many enjoy the small, special window of time in which stores make them. Despite the possibility of higher prices this year, the bigger question isn't whether people will be willing to pay more for them, but rather if there will be enough for everyone.

In some places that celebrate Pączki Day, the arrival and consumption of the decadent pastries is only part of the festivities. Cities or groups might also organize pączki-eating contests, live music, parades, and dances. Sure, all of these can still be done with no or fewer pastries (aside from the eating contests), but what's a celebration without copious amounts of caloric food? Hopefully these communities have been stashing away eggs for a few weeks in preparation for these fried treats and the day in which they're honored.