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Also known as Twelfth Night Cake,
the brioche-style King Cake is prepared in New Orleans
bakeries for the period between the Twelfth Night (January
6) and Ash Wednesday. The tradition is thought to have begun
with French settlers, continuing a custom dating back to
12th century France, when a similar cake was used to
celebrate the coming of the three wise men bearing gifts
twelve days after Christmas, calling it the feast of
Epiphany, Twelfth Night, or King's Day. Though the cakes are
baked in many shapes now, they were originally round in
shape to portray the circular route taken by the Kings to
confuse King Herod who was trying to follow the wise men so
he could kill the Christ child.
The cakes usually contain a bean, pea, or a figurine symbolizing the baby Jesus. In 1871 the tradition of choosing the queen of the Mardi Gras was determined by who drew the prize in the cake. It is definitely considered good luck to the person who gets the figure, and that person usually holds the next King Cake party. The Rex Krewe, a Mardi Gras parade organization, chose the festival's symbolic colors of purple, green, and gold, and since 1872 the colors have been used to tint the cake's icing. |
time in the
Big Easy
Summer is here and it's time to take advantage of this hot deal,
through the month of June,
Remember, it's not the heat, it's the humidity
