King Cake Controversy – Do You ‘Break’ The Unbreakable Rule?

(KMDL-FM) Attention, rest of the country and the rest of the world: for the next two weeks, if you're attempting to reach anyone in Louisiana, you will need to leave a message. We are busy. It is Mardi Gras season. In addition to the parades and balls, that also means king cakes. And while king cake may not be Louisiana's most controversial food. There are rules and controversy that surround these sweet treats.

READ MORE: Google Swears This is Louisiana's Most Controversial Food

There may be no other fixture of the Mardi Gras season that brings out the best and worst in Louisiana people than the king cake. Chances are you've had one or two at your office or in your home already this season.

We've all weighed in on what our favorite and least favorite kinds of king cake happen to be. Some swear that a certain kind of king cake popular in Lafayette and Acadiana is nothing more than a well-dressed donut. Others argue that only a certain bakery in Downtown Lafayette gets it right.

READ MORE: Lafayette Locals Reveal Choices for Best King Cake

Then there are the NOLA king cake fans who swear up and down that if it didn't come from the Crescent City, then you might as well be celebrating Mardi Gras in Mobile, Alabama, because you "ain't celebrating it here, not with some non-Nola-sanctioned pastry product".

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What Are Some of the Reasons People Argue About King Cake in Louisiana?

As heated as the debate over style, size, filling, lack of filling, and even the proper amount of icing drizzled can be, those debates still pale in comparison to the one king cake tradition that will send purists into a complete hissy fit and germophobes into a complete meltdown.

It has to do with the knife. And what happens to and with that knife after the first piece of king cake has been cut and served? Some are adamant that the knife must stay in the box until the entire king cake has been served.

The Biggest King Cake Controversy in Louisiana has Nothing to do With the Baby

Like many traditions surrounding Mardi Gras and Louisiana in general, there is no definitive origin to how or why the "knife in the box" tradition began. Many people in Louisiana say that's the way they were taught and that's how they choose to handle the situation.

Some claim that a stainless steel knife actually absorbs moisture, keeping the cake fresher. I can find no scientific proof for that claim, but it certainly would sound plausible along a parade route after a beer or two.

Can You Get Salmonella From a Used King Cake Knife?

Those who support the removal of the knife from the box between servings suggest that sanitation is the key to their argument. I can see that reasoning, and there is scientific proof to back that up. Others say you should take the knife out of the king cake box to prevent it from being thrown away.

The counterargument to the "throw away the knife argument" is to use a plastic knife, which many king cakes now come with. Those who support that tradition of keeping the knife in the box say to avoid sanitation concerns, they simply wash the knife between slices and replace the clean knife for the next cutting.

Passion runs deep on both sides of this discussion, and there doesn't appear to be a correct answer based on science, logic, and human understanding. But when have those items ever figured into a proper Mardi Gras celebration?

Personally, I don't think a holiday and tradition where part of the fun is chasing chickens through muddy fields and ditches while intoxicated really leans into the whole "sanitary" concept. But then again, that's gumbo, this is king cake, and this is Louisiana at Mardi Gras.