Flavors · Szczecin

Pasztecik szczeciński

Long pastry made from leavened dough, fried and usually filled with seasoned ground meat with pepper. It originated in Szczecin in the early 1970s, made on a Soviet machine from 1969, and is on Poland’s List of Traditional Products.

Traditional dish from Szczecin, Pomerânia Ocidental

Also known as: paszteciki szczecińskie, pasztecik

Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.

Get it on Google Play

Click a photo to enlarge it.

Poland
Poland
Pasztecik szczeciński — Szczecin, Poland
Pasztecik szczeciński
Pasztecik szczeciński — Szczecin, Poland
Pasztecik szczeciński
Pasztecik szczeciński — Szczecin, Poland
Pasztecik szczeciński
Pasztecik szczeciński — Szczecin, Poland
Pasztecik szczeciński

Pasztecik szczeciński — Szczecin, Poland

The pasztecik szczeciński has the shape of a long roll, 12 to 14 cm, with the filling visible in the center. The leavened dough rises a lot before frying, so it is porous inside, golden and crispy outside. The most common filling is ground meat seasoned mainly with pepper; there are also versions with other fillings. The recipe proportions have been kept secret by producers since the 1970s.

The story begins in 1969, when the Społem cooperative in Szczecin received a decommissioned Soviet machine made to produce small pastries in series. Employees adapted the recipe and gave the product a Polish name, pasztecik, which has nothing to do with pâté. The first pasztecik was produced in the early 1970s. In the 1980s, when meat was scarce, egg, fish and fresh cheese fillings appeared.

The pasztecik became popular among locals and visitors, especially those coming from East Germany, and turned into a city symbol. In 2010 it was added to the List of Traditional Products of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship. Since 2015, Szczecin celebrates Pasztecik Day on October 20.

According to the official description, the pasztecik should be eaten hot, as soon as it comes out of the machine; frozen or reheated, it is no longer the original product. It is sold at counters and bars in the city, to eat standing or to take away.

Share: WhatsApp

Where it comes from

Szczecin , Pomerânia Ocidental
The pasztecik was born in Szczecin in the early 1970s and bears the city’s name on the List of Traditional Products.

Ingredients

Wheat flour dough with natural leavening, fried. Traditional filling of ground meat with pepper; there are versions with other fillings.

How it is eaten

Hot, immediately after frying, eaten with the hand, standing or to take away.

When it is eaten

Everyday food. Pasztecik Day in Szczecin: October 20.

Your questions

Questions about Pasztecik szczeciński

What is pasztecik szczeciński?

A long fried leavened pastry, usually filled with ground meat and pepper. It has been a Szczecin specialty since the early 1970s and is on Poland’s List of Traditional Products.

Does pasztecik szczeciński contain pâté?

No. Despite the name, the traditional filling is seasoned ground meat. The name pasztecik was chosen by the cooperative employees who began producing it.

Why is pasztecik made on a machine?

The recipe was created for a Soviet machine that the Społem cooperative in Szczecin received in 1969, made to produce small pastries in series. The official product is eaten hot, immediately after it comes out of the machine.

Flavors of Poland

Discover other flavors of Poland

All the flavors of Poland