A Polish creation now enjoyed around the world, the paczki is a fluffy fried dough that is often filled with fruit jams, much like the American jelly doughnut. Paczki might even be filled and topped with chopped fruit, as fruit would also spoil over the fasting period, along with the other primary ingredients. They are made from a rich, yeast-raised dough that usually includes a splash of alcohol. They’re fried until golden, then filled or left fantastically plain and fluffy, before being finished with powdered sugar or icing.

The word “fastnacht” refers to both the celebratory snack and the time for enjoying them–the night of fasting. The German variety of fastnacht are pillowy, yeast-raised, deep-fried doughnuts that you can eat with a dollop of blackstrap molasses (which sounds like a lot of intense flavor for me, but I support your choices). But it’s the Pennsylvania Dutch version of fastnacht that has peaked my interest. This doughnut is made from a yeast-raised potato dough with plenty of butter and sugar. This recipe repurposes mashed potatoes. I also appreciate this recipe for the helpful tips on changing out the oil, and advice on definitely not using expired yeast.

At this point, you might think “doughnut day” makes more sense as a name, but in several countries, including Great Britain and Ireland, you may hear the day before Lent referred to as Shrove Tuesday, or “pancake day.” When you think about it, if everyone’s dumping eggs, butter, sugar and flour into the bowl, you’re getting pancakes or doughnuts, depending on the leavening agent you have remaining in your stores. Shrove Tuesday pancakes are a bit thinner than the fat disks you may be accustomed to, but slightly bulkier than a French crepe. Try this recipe which makes the batter easy to prepare with the help of a blender.

There are beignets, like the flour-based ones popular in New Orleans for Mardi Gras, and then there are beignets, like the ones made in Haiti with a banana-based dough. There’s no need to proof the dough, and they’re shaped by simply dropping the batter into the frying oil. Check out this recipe for a straightforward mixing and frying method.

In several regions of the United States, the days leading up to Mardi Gras must include this behemoth of a bread. The king cake is a sweet, enriched, yeast-raised treat, covered in icing and pummeled in yellow, purple, and green sprinkles. It’s an explosion of sugar, color, and flavor. King cakes can be left unfilled, highlighting their soft, doughnut-like texture, or the raw dough can be filled and swirled with jams, nuts, or cinnamon and sugar. The dough is then braided, or twisted and shaped into a circle before baking. Tradition requires the baker to tuck a small token, usually a plastic baby, into the bread. Whoever gets the slice with the baby brings the king cake next time. This king cake video includes a recipe and how-to tutorial to follow.

A traditional indulgence for Pancake Tuesday in the state of Goa, India, alle belles are crepe-like in appearance but contain no eggs. (Considering the price of eggs in some regions, this might be the pancake for you.) The filling is a stunner. Alle belles pancakes are wrapped around a filling of chopped coconut, cashews, and jaggery. The filling softens slightly as it sits in the warm pancake, delivering delicate sweetness and a harmony of textures. Try this recipe ,which yields about ten pancakes.

Getting rid of all your perishables in one dish never looked more obvious or more enticing than on the hornazo. Hornazo de jueves lardero refers to the foods in your larder being baked together, and eaten on Fat Thursday. Usually made and enjoyed in different regions of Spain, the hornazo can be made with a sweet or savory bread depending on the locality. Make the bread of your choosing, proof it, and when you’re ready to bake, tuck a raw egg, some cured sausage, and a slice or two of bacon right on top. Bake as usual. By the time the bread has fully baked, the meats and eggs will have too. You can follow the how-to video to learn how to make it.

Italy has no shortage of dishes for celebrating the days leading up to Lent. Amongst them are lasagna and ravioli, but no celebration would be complete without frying up some sweet carbs. Dolci di carnevale include such fancies as the zeppole and cicerchiata, and no Venetian carnevale is complete without fritole. Fritole are yeast raised, fried dough fritters, bolstered with a splash of booze, and studded with raisins. Fry until crisp and dust with a heap of powdered sugar.

I hate to present you with something unfried, but these semlor buns are too wonderful to ignore. Eaten in Sweden for Fat Tuesday, these plush buns are cardamom scented and baked, not fried. Carve the center out of the baked and cooled roll, and pipe it full with a sweetened almond filling, followed by whipped cream. Top it with a bit of the roll you took out of the center. This recipe uses a tangzhong mixture which ensures an utterly tender roll, hot or cold.