Czech Mazanek!

Each year during the Christmas season, every Czech family in the country of 10 million in Central Europe, celebrates with a Mazanek, Bread. This plaited raisin rich item includes more than 50 percent raisins to flour weight. The bread is normally placed on the Advent table for the daily candle lighting that leads to the Czech Christmas and celebrations until Three Kings Day, (January 6) which is an important date in Central Europe. Even in Communist times, Czechs would import high quality California Raisins for their wonderful bakery items. In 1988, the California Raisin industry donated cases of raisins to all of the country’s bakers, and a new tradition began. It was called California Raisin Mazanek. Today, you can find Raisin Mazanek in Czech American communities across the USA including: New Jersey; Pittsburg, Pennsylvania; and the Central Texas community of West Texas, with three prominent Czech bakeries.

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