In Louisiana, February means Mardi Gras which includes balls, parades and most importantly, delicious king cake, a longtime favorite everyone loves and craves all year long.
Mardi Gras celebrations begin in January and continue up to the holiday itself, which takes place on Feb. 13 this year. It is known for its elaborate parades, colorful costumes, music and abundance of food and drinks. Mardi Gras, which means “Fat Tuesday” in French, is especially associated with New Orleans, where it is a major cultural event attracting tourists from all over the world.
One of Mardi Gras’ main symbols is king cake, a hugely popular traditional colorful pastry. The origins of the cake can be traced back to ancient Roman customs and the Christian feast of Epiphany. It symbolizes the biblical story of the three Magi visiting the baby Jesus.
The traditional king cake is usually round or oval, with a bun made of coffee pie and cinnamon that is usually decorated with multicolored icing or sugar with yellow, green and purple glaze – the color of Mardi Gras – and often contains fruit or cream cheese fillings.
Most people wait for the special seasonal treat all year. Sports management senior Bryce Wadenpfuhl said he loves Mardi Gras traditional pastry from different brands and he manages to get it even when it is not Mardi Gras season.
“King cake is my favorite. I crave it all the time and my family actually gets it for Christmas too,” Wadenpfuhl stated.
King cake goes on sale all over Louisiana from early January to mid-February. It is considered bad luck to eat king cake before Twelfth Night. Batter, one of the top-rated Hammond bakeries, started selling king cake at the beginning of January right after New Year’s. Batter does not sell classic king cakes; instead, they sell king cake-inspired pastries such as croissants, cookies, pop tarts, muffins, pull-apart cakes and much more.
Batter employee Hannah Hall said Mardi Gras season is one of the busiest times throughout the year.
“A lot of people come to get king cake-flavored pastries. We also ship nationwide and a lot of people from all over the states specifically order them,” Hall explained.
According to food news source Eater, king cake originated in the Old World in France and Spain and was associated with baptism during the Middle Ages. The name “king cake” comes from the biblical story of three kings who bring gifts to the infant Jesus.
There is an interesting tradition about the holiday pastry. A plastic baby is hidden inside the treat and a person who finds a trinket in their piece is considered the “king” or “queen” of the holiday and has to bring a king cake to the next celebration.
Mardi Gras season is huge and Southeastern actively participates in cherishing this holiday. Many events related to Mardi Gras are held a couple of weeks prior to the celebration day where students have fun and get to dive into Louisiana’s culture more like decorating carnival masks, taking part in king cake giveaways or testing their knowledge in Mardi Gras trivia.
Southeastern students don’t have to go and buy king cakes in different bakeries because this year Mane Dish decided to give them a taste of the coveted treat. Mane Dish Supervisor Laura Parsons said the Mane Dish serves different types of king cakes throughout January and February.
“One way that we prepare for Mardi Gras is baking cinnamon roll cakes and it could either be traditional iced ones or filled king cakes,” Parsons explained.
Mardi Gras is a fun time with lots of parades and delicious food, especially sweet treats such as king cakes. Fat Tuesday is a perfect time to enjoy the celebration with friends and family and take some rest from school and work duties.
