Szczecin ''pasztecik'',, is a Polish variety of pastry, a machine-produced deep-fried

yeast Yeasts are eukaryotic, single-celled microorganisms classified as members of the fungus kingdom (biology), kingdom. The first yeast originated hundreds of millions of years ago, and at least 1,500 species are currently recognized. They are est ...

dough Dough is a malleable, sometimes elastic paste made from flour (which itself is made from grains or from leguminous or chestnut crops). Dough is typically made by mixing flour with a small amount of water or other liquid and sometimes includes ...

stuffed with a meat or vegetarian filling, served in specialised bars as a

fast food Fast food is a type of Mass production, mass-produced food designed for commercial resale, with a strong priority placed on speed of service. ''Fast food'' is a commercial term, limited to food sold in a restaurant or store with frozen, preheat ...

. It is a traditional snack food dish of

Szczecin Szczecin ( , , ; ; ; or ) is the capital city, capital and largest city of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship in northwestern Poland. Located near the Baltic Sea and the Poland-Germany border, German border, it is a major port, seaport, the la ...

, where it was popular during the time of the

Polish People's Republic The Polish People's Republic (1952–1989), formerly the Republic of Poland (1947–1952), and also often simply known as Poland, was a country in Central Europe that existed as the predecessor of the modern-day democratic Republic of Poland. ...

and still retains this popularity, having become a cultural food of the region. The filling consists of either:

minced beef Ground beef, hamburger, hamburger meat (North American English), minced beef or beef mince (Commonwealth English; often just generically referred to as ''mince'' or ''mincemeat'') is beef that has been finely chopped with a knife or meat grind ...

(the oldest and the most popular), or

sauerkraut Sauerkraut (; , ) is finely cut raw cabbage that has been fermented by various lactic acid bacteria. It has a long shelf life and a distinctive sour flavor, both of which result from the lactic acid formed when the bacteria ferment the sugar ...

and dried mushrooms, or cheese and champignons. During the time of the PPR, when a lack of meat on the market was a frequent occurrence, it was common to replace the meat stuffing with egg paste. The dough is crispy on the outside and soft inside. The minced beef filling resembles

pâté Pâté ( , , ) is a forcemeat. Originally, the dish was cooked in a pastry case; in more recent times it is more usually cooked without pastry in a terrine. Various ingredients are used, which may include meat from pork, poultry, fish or bee ...

, the Polish word "pasztecik" is a diminutive of the word "pasztet" (pâté). Usually served with clear, spicy red

barszcz Borscht () is a sour soup, made with meat Stock (food), stock, vegetables and seasonings, common in Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. In English, the word ''borscht'' is most often associated with the soup's variant of Ukraine, Ukrainian orig ...

. It should not be frozen or warmed again.

History

The first bar serving "pasztecik szczeciński", Bar "Pasztecik" (still functioning) was founded in 1969, using machines imported from the Soviet Union army stationing in Szczecin, which could quickly produce large amounts of food for the Soviet soldiers. The machine, weighing over one tonne, is able to produce over 600 pasties in an hour. From 22 December 2010, "pasztecik szczeciński" is listed on the official Polish traditional products list and hence protected by European Union law, which means that all producers have to strictly follow the traditional recipe, however for the authentic flavor and best quality, Bar "Pasztecik" remains number one in Szczecin. Pasztecik Szczeciński is currently served also in other cities in Poland, as well as

Wiesbaden Wiesbaden (; ) is the capital of the German state of Hesse, and the second-largest Hessian city after Frankfurt am Main. With around 283,000 inhabitants, it is List of cities in Germany by population, Germany's 24th-largest city. Wiesbaden form ...

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

. From 2015 onwards, 20 October is celebrated as the Day of the pasztecik szczeciński.Przed nami Dzień Pasztecika Szczecińskiego
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History

See also

Notes

References

Further reading