THE THINGS WE DO...: Western Canada's "paska bread" (04/20/03)

THE THINGS WE DO...

by Orysia Paszczak Tracz

Western Canada's "paska bread"

You don't bake, Easter is coming, and you must rely on the kindness of your Ukrainian neighbor or the ladies in the church who do bake paska and babka. Well, you do if you're not living on the Canadian prairies.

Here in the prairie provinces, however, as soon as Lent begins, it is not just hot-cross buns that are available in the bakeries.

Each Safeway, Superstore, IGA and bakery advertises prominently its "paska bread" and "babka bread." Yes, that's as redundant as "pizza pie." The weekly advertising fliers feature the two, "loaded with raisins" and "with saffron." The color photos show the very simple crosses baked into the bread. Sometimes the large supermarket signs in the parking lots carry ads for "paska bread" on special.

Gunn's Bakery on Selkirk Avenue in Winnipeg is an institution in itself. Now owned and run by Arthur and Bernie Gunn, it was founded by their parents in 1937. This Jewish bakery is famous for more than its bagels, knishes and multitude of pastries. During Ukrainian Christmas (both calendars), you can get a lovely kolach, or three, for your Christmas Eve table.

At Velykden, just check out the Gunn's windows, where "fresh babka" and "fresh paska" are prominently advertised. This is Winnipeg, after all. The bakery has even won baking competitions with its Ukrainian breads. Polish ponczki and hearty farmer's bread are also available. (There are even some x-rated cakes and cookies that you have to ask to view - I haven't asked yet, but I suppose these are ethnically generic.)

The paska and babka are tasty and rich, but I buy them more as a breakfast bread. For Easter I bake my own, and there certainly is a difference between home-baked and bakery-bought. If you need to buy an authentic, traditional bread, the various "teas" (in Canada) and the bazaars (all over) will supply you with genuine baba- and mama-baked ritual breads. These pasky, or paskas as we say in Canada, will have all the traditional ritual symbols baked into them. People freeze these until Easter morning. Some women bake in advance, just in case the bread does not turn out exactly right - then there is time to bake again.

There are recipes out there for bread-machine (sacrilege!) paska and babka. But then, it's just a progression from using the mixer, and the food processor, eh? Personally, I stop at the mixer, and then hand-knead. I am still amazed at that transformation from very gooey, sticky dough to the silky, rich mass that just separates from the hand. This, after many minutes of shoulder-aching kneading.

After 112 years in Canada, Ukrainians are no longer immigrants. They are an integral part of Canada, especially in the west. One rarely needs to explain something Ukrainian - and usually it's to someone from other parts of Canada or the world. There is usually some Ukrainian connection in most mixed Canadian families. And Ukrainian foods really are as Canadian as they come. The prominence of paska and babka at Easter is just one indication.

(Your friendly neighborhood columnist simply, must plan a tasting tour of all the bakeries, butcher shops, caterers and restaurants to sample the availability of Ukrainian cuisine in Winnipeg. All in the name of research, of course.)

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