Mekitsa is a popular Bulgarian dish that is traditionally served for breakfast. It is a flatbread made with kneaded dough that is then deep-fried in hot oil. The dough usually consists of flour, water, salt, oil, eggs, yogurt, and a leavening agent. The name mekitsa is derived from the Bulgarian root mek, meaning soft, referring to the flatbread's texture. These flatbreads can be dusted with powdered sugar or paired with yogurt, honey, cheese, or various fruit jams.
Pączki are large, deep-fried doughnuts made from rich yeast dough, heavily stuffed with sweet fruit preserves or sweet cream, and coated in a thick layer of powdered sugar or icing. The foundation of this heavy pastry relies on a highly enriched dough where yeast is dissolved in warm milk and combined with large quantities of egg yolks, butter, sugar, and wheat flour. A crucial additive is a small splash of high-proof grain alcohol or clear rum mixed directly into the batter. The alcohol evaporates rapidly upon contact with the boiling fat, creating a barrier that prevents the pastry from absorbing excess grease during deep-frying. The dough must rise twice to develop a spongy, airy crumb before small portions are rolled into uniform balls and submerged in heavily heated pork lard or vegetable oil. They fry until both sides develop a deep, dark golden-brown exterior, naturally leaving a distinct pale ring around the center where the dough floated above the fat line. After cooling slightly, a metal piping tip is used to inject various thick fillings into the center. While wild rose petal jam and dense plum butter are the most deeply rooted and widely used fillings, modern bakeries often inject them with Bavarian cream, raspberry preserve, chocolate custard, or spiced apple filling. The exterior also depends on the shop, ranging from a simple, heavy dusting of confectioner's sugar to a thick, translucent sugar glaze sprinkled generously with bits of candied orange peel. Procuring and consuming these pastries happens at an intense, rapid pace, most notably during the week preceding Lent. They are often bought by the dozens in large cardboard boxes from local bakeries and eaten at room temperature alongside a cup of hot coffee or strong black tea. Because of their rich, high-calorie nature, a single pastry serves as a standalone meal or snack. The existence of pączki traces back to the Middle Ages, though the earliest iterations were entirely savory, formed from hard dough and stuffed with salted pork fat. It was not until the 18th century, when French baking techniques arrived in Eastern Europe, that the recipe fundamentally transformed into a lighter, sweeter, sponge-like dessert. The entire concept was originally designed as a highly practical method to completely empty household pantries of expensive, perishable fats, sugars, and eggs before a strict fasting period commenced, culminating in the massive consumption event known today as Fat Thursday.
Papanași is a traditional donut-shaped pastry with a small sphere on top. It can be fried or boiled, and it's made by adding unsalted cheese such as brânză de vaci (cow's milk cheese) or urdă to a regular flour and egg dough. The fried papanași are usually donut-shaped and can be served with fruit jams, a dollop of sour cream, or powdered sugar. The boiled ones are smaller, nugget-shaped, and typically coated with a mix of breadcrumbs and sugar. This dessert can be found in most Romanian traditional restaurants or it can be prepared at home.
Nonnevot is a unique pastry originating from Limburg, dating back to at least the 17th century. The dough is prepared with flour, yeast, milk, salt, butter, lard, and brown sugar. It is then deep-fried until it develops a golden-brown color. Although nonnevot has traditionally been associated with the carnival, today it can be bought in many regional bakeries. The unusual name of this pastry means nun's butt, referring to its knotted shape and the knot on the back of a nun's uniform.
Fouskakia are traditional Greek donuts or loukoumades that are prepared on the islands of Skopelos and Alonnisos, in the northwest Aegean Sea. The name of this specialty derives from the Greek word foúska, meaning a bubble, referring to the typically small spherical shape of the fluffy fried pieces of dough which resemble bubbles. These donuts are typically made with a simple batter of flour, water, and yeast, and once deep-fried in oil, they’re usually eaten while still warm. Fouskakia are usually enjoyed drizzled with honey on top and sprinkled with cinnamon or nuts, although they can also be accompanied by scoops of ice cream on the side.
A bola de Berlim is a round doughnut with a sugared surface and a soft, airy interior, usually split across the middle to hold a generous band of yellow pastry cream. Sold in pastelarias and cafés throughout Portugal, it is also closely associated with beach vendors, who carry these substantial pastries along the sand. The dough is raised with yeast, enriched with eggs and butter, and fried before filling, giving it a thin golden skin rather than a thick crust. Its cream stays visible along the cut, so each bite combines tender dough, smooth custard, and the slight crunch of sugar. The name means “Berlin ball” and points to its German relative, the Berliner Pfannkuchen, whose fruit filling is generally enclosed within the doughnut. The Portuguese version developed a different appearance and filling while keeping the rounded shape and fried yeast dough. Its spread in Portugal is associated with German Jewish refugees fleeing Nazi persecution during the 1930s and the Second World War. Ruth Davidsohn, who arrived from Hamburg with her family in October 1935, was among those who made and sold the German pastries in Portugal. Her version included fruit preserve, such as strawberry or raspberry, rather than the exposed custard now familiar in Portuguese shop windows. She cannot be securely credited as the first person to bring the pastry to the country, but her experience establishes a concrete connection between refugee livelihoods and its wider circulation. The precise moment when Portuguese bakers adopted the horizontal cut and pastry cream is less certain. Much of the pastry’s quality depends on the dough before it reaches the frying oil. Flour, yeast, eggs, sugar, butter, and liquid form a smooth, elastic mixture; some formulas use milk as well as water, and lemon zest may add a light fragrance. Kneading develops enough structure to retain the gas produced during fermentation, while the fat and eggs keep the cooked crumb tender. The dough is divided into portions and rounded, then allowed to rise until light and expanded. A poorly risen ball can look convincingly browned outside yet remain heavy within. Properly handled dough yields a bun that gives way when bitten without collapsing into a greasy mass. Frying requires similar care: excessive heat darkens the surface before the center cooks, while insufficient heat prolongs the frying and can leave the pastry oily. The balls are turned to color both sides, then drained. They should have enough structure to support the filling, but the interior should still feel closer to soft enriched bread than to cake. Granulated sugar is commonly applied while the pastries are warm enough for it to adhere, although some versions receive a dusting of icing sugar instead. The filling is prepared separately and cooled before use. Creme de pasteleiro is a cooked pastry cream, typically made with milk, egg yolks, sugar, and flour or another starch, with vanilla or lemon providing optional flavoring. It should not automatically be confused with a filling made only from egg yolks and sugar syrup: the milk and starch give this custard its particular softness and stability. Heating it while stirring produces a smooth cream thick enough to sit in the opening without running out immediately. Cooling further firms the texture. The fried bun is slit from the side, usually leaving the two halves attached, and the cream is piped or spooned into the gap. This broad opening distributes the filling across the pastry and makes its consistency plainly visible. Too much stiffness leaves a pasty mouthful; a loose filling escapes as soon as the bun is handled. A bola de Berlim does not have to contain cream: sem creme, the unfilled version, is an established choice alongside com creme. Without custard, the dough's flavor and freshness become especially noticeable. Chocolate and hazelnut fillings are also sold, as are fruit-flavored variations, but yellow pastry cream remains the most recognizable Portuguese filling. These choices largely depend on individual bakeries and producers rather than a clear set of regional styles. At the seaside, people often buy pastries directly from roaming sellers announcing their arrival, sometimes with the call “Olha a bolinha!” Their association with summer holidays is strong, though cafés and pastry shops sell them beyond the beach season. They suit an afternoon snack and are substantial enough to need little accompaniment. A small espresso provides a pleasantly bitter contrast to the sugar and custard; a galão, the Portuguese milky coffee served in a glass, pairs more gently, and unsweetened tea also works well. Eaten by hand, the filled version benefits from a paper wrapper or napkin around its lower half, leaving the exposed cream clear of the fingers.
Italian deep-fried doughnuts known as bomboloni are one of the traditional sweets of the Carnival season, but nowadays they can be prepared throughout the year. Even though bomboloni are said to be of Tuscan origin, they are commonly sold as a snack in numerous pasticcerias, bakeries, and coffee shops throughout the country. However, in Tuscany and further to the north of Italy, bomboloni are simply sugar-coated, while in Lazio these delectable treats take on a more decadent appearance, as biting into their sugary crust reveals a silky cream on the inside. The so-called bombolone Laziale is typically filled with either classic custard cream called crema pasticcera, or sometimes even chocolate cream. Pillow-soft, airy, and amazingly light, the delicious bomboloni are best enjoyed while they're still warm, regardless of the preferred variety.
These soft, tender Czech doughnuts are prepared with yeasted dough that is occasionally flavored with lemon zest. They are typically round and have a small indentation on the top, which is used to hold all of the delicious filling. Even though they can be baked in the oven, vdolky are usually fried in oil until golden brown. Traditionally, they are enjoyed warm, smothered in jams and topped with whipped cream or crumbled tvaroh cottage cheese.
Krapfen was probably the first European-style doughnut to appear, followed by similar varieties in other countries. These pastries are traditionally prepared with leavened dough that is deep-fried until golden and crispy on the outside, while they remain soft, light, and airy on the inside. Though krapfen can be prepared plain, they are most often filled or topped with jams, and vanilla or chocolate custards, while the top is usually dusted with powdered sugar or drizzled with chocolate. The origin of the word krapfen dates back to 9th century, and the recipes in German can be found as early as the 14th century. The sweet versions of the pastry became predominant, and have remained closely associated with the Carnival, a festive period which precedes Christian Lent. Interestingly, during the Carnival, one krapfen in a batch filled with jam and fruit preserves might contain a filling of mustard as a prank. It is believed that doughnuts spread throughout many central European countries, which adopted the technique but used different regional names. Consequently, krapfen in Germany goes under Berliner, pfannkuchen, faschingskrapfen, krebbel, or kreppel. In Poland, they are known as pączki or krepel, Hungarians refer to them as fánk, Slovak as šišky, while the Czechs use the term koblihy. In Slovenia, they are better known as krofi, while the standard name throughout Croatia, Bosnia, and Serbia is krofne or krafne. In St. Petersburg, Russia, the doughnuts are known as pyshki (either ring-shaped or without a hole), and there is a local café that has been serving pyshki prepared from the original recipe since the 1960s.
Plăcintă, from the Latin word placenta which means flat cake, is a traditional fried pastry or a thin cake consisting of flour, water, eggs, milk, yeast, and a pinch of salt. This fried or deep-fried pastry is enjoyed warm, and it is usually stuffed with a sweet or savory filling. A great variety of fillings can be used for the stuffing, including branza cheese, sweet cheese, mashed potatoes, shredded cabbage, apples, jams, and sour cherries, to name a few. Plăcintă’s texture and consistency can range from light and fluffy to doughy and crispy, resembling a flatbread. Depending on the filling and the method of preparation, it can be consumed as an appetizer, a dessert, or a light main dish. It is generally regarded as a vegetarian dish, but it can also be filled with meat such as shredded chicken.
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