Pańska Skórka (The Lord’s crust) – an icon of Warsaw?

pańska skórka

When you ask about this sweet delicacy anywhere else in Poland nobody will probably seem to know what you are talking about… Pańska skórka? What is it? Although known for more than 100 years it is only Warsaw special candy, which in addition, you can’t buy in any shop….

Pańska Skórka is a type of chewy candy (similar to taffy) sold at cemeteries during  All Saints’ Day (November 1) and All Souls’ Day (November 2). The tradition of Wszystkich Świętych (All Saints’ Day) and Dzień Zaduszny or Zaduszki (All Souls’ Day) began in the first centuries of Christianity. Today, it is an important holiday in many countries that are predominantly Catholic. All Saints’ Day has been designated by the Roman Catholic Church as the day to pray for the Saints of the church. All Souls’ Day is a day of prayer for all who have died. In Poland the tradition is to light candles and visit the graves of deceased relatives. Beginning on November 1^st and throughout the following week, cemeteries are filled with people, flowers, and thousands of candles. These special candles can burn anywhere from 24 hours to a week, depending on their size. At night, during the week following All Saints’ Day, they give the cemeteries of Poland a glow that can be seen from many kilometers away.

Pańska skórka is connected to this old tradition but it is only known locally in Warsaw. In Kraków similar candies can be found but they are called “Turkish honey” (Polish: “miodek  turecki“) and unlike pańska skórka they contain nuts.

Pańska skórka is a home-made candy – to tell you the truth it is better not to think about the hygienic conditions of production…. but it reminds the wonderful taste of the childhood and recalls the sweet memories from the past.

pańska skórka

Pańska skórka is made of water, sugar, a bit of vanilla, some honey, whipped egg whites and flavored with red fruit juice in order to finally get a white-pink color. It was for the first time described in the “Warsaw Dictionary” of 1908 as soothing cough medicine for children sold in pharmacies, exactly 100 years later – in 2008 pańska skórka was recognized by the Polish Ministry of Agriculture as traditional regional product of Mazovia.

So… next time you are in Warsaw, make sure you put this delicacy to your test 🙂

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