I was at at Happy Hour at Solterra in Encinitas (which, by the way was fantastic), when someone mentioned a King Cake, a New Orleans tradition. I had never heard of it. Kevin, an avid traveler, and bridge playing friend of mine, told us all about the king cake, so I had to research it's origins and find out more. Here's what I now know.
The cake got it's start long, long ago. Like in the Middle Ages! King cakes were first made in Europe in celebration of the Catholic Epiphany. It's a celebration of the day when th three wise men visited baby Jesus and showered him with gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
The French brought the cake with them to Louisiana in the 1870's, where it became synonymous with the French Quarter, Mardi Gras, Fat Tuesday, and everything else New Orleans. King cake is a seasonal cake, available in early January and then goes away Ash Wednesday.
The King Cake is a ring of sweet pastry that's covered in lots of icing and purple, yellow, and green sprinkles. Green symbolizes faith, purple stands for power, and yellow represents justice. Inside there's always a tiny plastic baby hidden.
The plastic baby makes eating king cake more fun. In fact, it's kind of a sport. Everyone wants to find that little baby. Whomever gets the slice with the baby is crowned king or queen for the day and is said to be one his or her way to a very good year.
You could make king cake, but it's easier just to buy. It's available at many bakeries and grocery stores in the U.S, or you can even have it shipped straight to your front door, if you're really craving this super delicious Louisiana made treat.
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