Szczecin ''pasztecik'', or simply ''pasztecik'', is a

Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Poles Poles,, ; singular masculine: ''Polak'', singular feminine: ''Polka'' or Polish people, are a West Slavic nation and ethnic group, w ...

variety of machine-produced

deep-fried Deep frying (also referred to as deep fat frying) is a cooking method in which food is submerged in hot fat, traditionally lard but today most commonly oil, as opposed to the shallow oil used in conventional frying done in a frying pan. Norma ...

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

dough Dough is a thick, malleable, sometimes elastic paste 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 yeast or other leavenin ...

stuffed with a meat or vegetarian filling, served in specialised bars as a fast food. It is a typical dish of Szczecin, where it was popular during the time of the

Polish People's Republic The Polish People's Republic ( pl, Polska Rzeczpospolita Ludowa, PRL) was a country in Central Europe that existed from 1947 to 1989 as the predecessor of the modern Republic of Poland. With a population of approximately 37.9 million ne ...

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

minced beef Ground beef, minced beef or beef mince is beef that has been finely chopped with a knife, meat grinder (American English), mincer or mincing machine (British English). It is used in many recipes including hamburgers, bolognese sauce, meatloaf, m ...

(the oldest and the most popular), or

sauerkraut Sauerkraut (; , "sour cabbage") 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 ferm ...

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 paste, pie or loaf filled with a forcemeat. Common forcemeats include ground meat from pork, poultry, fish or beef; fat, vegetables, herbs, spices and either wine or brandy (often cognac or armagnac). It is often ser ...

, the Polish word "pasztecik" is a diminutive of the word "pasztet" (pâté). Usually served with clear, spicy red barszcz. 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 "paszteciki" 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. Pasztecik Szczeciński is currently served also in other cities in Poland, as well as

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. From 2015 onwards, 20th of 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