The St Martin's Croissant of Poznan

The rogal swietomarcinski is a croissant only in shape. The dough is a laminated yeast pastry, and the filling is white poppy seed worked with nuts, raisins, candied fruit and cream, piped in generously so that a single pastry weighs a quarter of a kilo and is sold by weight rather than by the piece. The recipe and the name are protected, and only bakers holding a certificate may use them, which keeps the composition consistent across the city. Sales peak on Saint Martin's Day, 11 November, when Poznan eats them by the tonne. A small museum on the market square makes them in front of an audience and lets people help.

What you actually see

• The croissant itself - a quarter kilo of laminated pastry with white poppy seed filling.
• Sale by weight - bakeries pricing per kilo rather than per piece, so sizes vary.
• The certificate - the mark displayed by bakers licensed to use the protected name.
• The demonstration museum - a working display on the old market square with audience participation.

When to go

All year in city bakeries, freshest in the morning. Around 11 November the whole city sells them, with queues out of the door at the best known bakeries and a street parade in the centre. The demonstration sessions on the square run several times a day and are ticketed, often selling out in advance in summer and in November.

Honest expectations

It is very sweet and very heavy, and one between two people is enough for most. Poppy seed filling is not to everyone's taste and the texture is dense. Plenty of ordinary croissants around the station are sold as the real thing without the certificate. On 11 November the queues are long and the good bakeries sell out by early afternoon.

Nearby

The old market square, the town hall goats at noon and the cathedral island are all in walking distance.