The History of King Cakes

It's Carnival time! OK, OK, we know you haven't even put up your Christmas decorations yet, but it's time to Laissez les bon temps rouler! Mardi Gras is early this year - February 17th, and no doubt you've been seeing delicious King Cakes in every grocery store in Acadiana, even though the official start of Mardi Gras season - Epiphany - is Tuesday, January 6th. We love King Cake, and our friends at Manny Randazzo King Cakes in New Orleans have provided a brief history of our favorite Louisiana treat:

'The King Cake tradition is thought to have been brought to New Orleans from France in 1870. A King Cake is an oval-shaped bakery delicacy, crossed between a coffee cake and a French pastry that is as rich in history as it is in flavor. It's decorated in royal colors of PURPLE which signifies "Justice," GREEN for "Faith," and GOLD for "Power." These colors were chosen to resemble a jeweled crown honoring the Wise Men who visited the Christ Child on Epiphany. In the past such things as coins, beans, pecans, or peas were also hidden in each King Cake.'

Now it's time to dig in, and don't forget to look for the baby before you take a bite! Happy Mardi Gras, ya'll! Be sure to tell us where YOUR favorite King Cake is from!