# King cake **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 21, 2006, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/king-cake/345515 "2006-02-21T19:27:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2006, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/king-cake/345515/21 "2006-02-22T17:36:35Z")
Wait a minute…they bake a baby king into a CAKE?? And people have to “find” the baby? And this is a catholic thing? Or a christian thing? I’ve never heard of this. I need details from you folks on what this all means. History…purpose…regional or national…gimme. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2006, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/king-cake/345515/22 "2006-02-22T18:00:11Z")
[Here’s](http://www.thefreshloaf.com/recipes/kingcake) a short history, with nicely illustrated recipe. I’m Catholic and it’s nothing we ever had up here in the North for Mardi Gras. We just stuffed ourselves on the usual treats. Of course my parents were converted and we didn’t have many friends so that could explain it!! ---
**Author:** ![nvad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/51bf81/32.png) [@nvad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nvad)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2006, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/king-cake/345515/23 "2006-02-22T20:42:41Z")
> [@BabaBooey](#): > > Haydel’s makes an incredible king cake. I want to be with it. Heartily seconded! I’m off to New Orleans in 63 hours!!! Got me ticket in my hand, I’m gonna go see the Mardi Gras… ---
**Author:** ![The\_Long\_Road](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b5a626/32.png) [@The\_Long\_Road](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Long_Road)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2006, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/king-cake/345515/24 "2006-02-22T21:20:10Z")
We recently started buying the cream cheese king cakes from Gambino’s which are tasty. Growing up, I believed(and still do) that nothing equaled a McKenzies king cake, end of debate. My wife gives me grief about how they were dry or just bread with sugar but I loved them. Sadly they are long since out of business. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2006, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/king-cake/345515/25 "2006-02-22T21:54:03Z")
> [@gigi](#): > > [Here’s](http://www.thefreshloaf.com/recipes/kingcake) a short history, with nicely illustrated recipe. I’m Catholic and it’s nothing we ever had up here in the North for Mardi Gras. We just stuffed ourselves on the usual treats. Of course my parents were converted and we didn’t have many friends so that could explain it!! Thanks for that link! Now _that’s_ what I call “cute food.” It’s right up there with mini Oreos and baby corn. ---
**Author:** ![gardentraveler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gardentraveler/32/3576_2.png) [@gardentraveler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gardentraveler)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2006, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/king-cake/345515/26 "2006-02-23T11:53:38Z")
So here I am, awfully close to 50, and I open this thread two days ago, thinking I’m going to read about the tradition in Mexico. Seems a little late since it’s a January 6 thing there. Imagine my surprise when I find it’s the very same tradition. [Here’s a link that has a pretty good explanation of the Mexican tradition.](http://www.mexgrocer.com/10096.html) Makes it sound almost identical to the New Orleans tradition. The person who finds the baby has to throw a party in February, though. The cakes I’ve had in Mexico are different. Usually they have a bit of dried fruit in them. My favorites are topped with pieces of candied fig. Oh, and what was in yesterday’s food section? [An article about King Cakes.](http://www.dispatch.com/news/food/food.php?story=dispatch/2006/02/22/20060222-F1-01.html). Who new you could buy them in Columbus? And this morning, on NPR? You got it. A story about King Cakes in New Orleans. So yes, [now they’re everywhere.](http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5228675) GT ---
**Author:** ![YWalker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/6f9a4e/32.png) [@YWalker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YWalker)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2006, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/king-cake/345515/27 "2006-02-23T14:10:38Z")
> [@Kalhoun](#): > > Wait a minute…they bake a baby king into a CAKE?? And people have to “find” the baby? And this is a catholic thing? Or a christian thing? I’ve never heard of this. I need details from you folks on what this all means. History…purpose…regional or national…gimme. That was a new one on me, too. I had to buy one a couple of years because I was in love with the packaging and had to show it to my husband: > [@](#): > > WARNING: Non-edible baby inside The cannibals must have been terribly disappointed. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2006, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/king-cake/345515/28 "2006-02-23T14:15:29Z")
> [@YWalker](#): > > That was a new one on me, too. I had to buy one a couple of years because I was in love with the packaging and had to show it to my husband: > > The cannibals must have been terribly disappointed. My son is going to Mardi Gras. I called him yesterday and asked him to send me a King cake and explained the whole baby thing. There was a long silence and then he hung up on me. ---
**Author:** ![tsarina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f4b2a3/32.png) [@tsarina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tsarina)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2006, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/king-cake/345515/29 "2006-02-23T16:34:52Z")
The baby is really tiny (about the size of the first joint of my thumb), but it’s big enough that you won’t accidentally swallow it and choke. (I was worried about that the first time I bit into a piece!) My roommates buy one about once a week - I’ve been eating it since I moved to New Orleans last month, and it’s hard to believe that soon we won’t be able to buy any more! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/king-cake/345515.md?page=1)