In the 18th century, as the French further colonized North America and New Orleans evolved into a bustling port city with strong Catholic roots, Mardi Gras traditions — celebrations of Fat Tuesday, which marks the last opportunity for feasting and revelry before a period of Lenten fasting beginning the following day.

New Orleans

Here’s what goes into New Orleans’ biggest party of the year 10.4 million: Number of visitors to New Orleans during Mardi Gras in 2016 — the first time the city was able to reach its pre-Katrina tourism numbers.

But Mardi Gras 2021 will be different. Parades won’t roll. There will be no large crowds or events. The health and safety of our community is a priority, but that doesn’t mean Mardi Gras is cancelled.

The History of Paczki Pączki are a specialty pastry reserved for once a year in honor of Fat Tuesday. It is a Catholic day of celebration as it is the precursor to the Lenten season, and the last day to indulge in foods before the traditional 40-day period of fasting before Easter.

painted coconut

Of all the throws to rain down from the many floats in the parades during carnival, the Zulu coconut or “Golden Nugget” is the most sought after. The earliest reference to the coconut appears to be about 1910 when the coconuts were given from the floats in their natural “hairy” state.

Zulu is New Orleans’ largest predominantly African American carnival organization known for its blackfaced krewe members wearing grass skirts and its unique throw of hand-painted coconuts. The club is a regular feature of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.

Most New Orleans residents know Zulu as a parading organization. But few realize that Zulu is a social aid and pleasure club in the mold of the countless African-American benevolent associations that have provided essential social services, such as funeral costs, for members since the 19th century.

Also among the most coveted of Mardi Gras parade “throws” are Zulu coconuts, the round, painted, glittery orbs thrown out by members of the Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club. One of the oldest traditionally African-American krewes, Zulu held its first parade in 1909.

The common denominator between all of these cakes is that they all have a small trinket or figurine — such as a bean, a coin, a nut, or a tiny baby figurine — hidden inside. Whoever finds the trinket in their slice of cake gets to be “king” for a day and is also said to have good luck.

NEW ORLEANS— Rex and Zulu are two names synonomous with Mardi Gras. They each have a unique and storied pas that plays an integral role in New Orleans culture. In 1872, Rex was founded in a city still recovering from the Civil War.

Since being incorporated into Catholic tradition, King Cake takes its name from the three kings who arrived bearing gifts for the baby Jesus. Their journey is said to have taken 12 days and their arrival marks the 12th day of Christmas, which is also known as Epiphany, King’s Day or Three King’s Day.

As you cut yourself a slice of the oval-shaped treat, they may inform you that whomever gets the piece with a small plastic baby inside has to bring the king cake themselves next time.

“There is traditionally a baby hidden inside the cake,” said Swift. “When the cake is sliced and served whoever gets the baby is declared king for the day. They also are responsible for hosting next year’s Fat Tuesday party and bringing the King Cake!”

Traditionally, a small porcelain baby, symbolizing Jesus, is hidden in the king cake and is a way for residents of New Orleans to celebrate their Christian faith. The baby symbolizes luck and prosperity to whoever finds it.

(WAFB) – In France, the traditional king cake – known as the galette des rois – is only eaten around the Feast of the Epiphany, Jan. King cake season, technically, lasts from the Twelfth Night until Fat Tuesday.

Traditionally, the “baby” was actually a small dried bean or a pecan, which would get baked right into the cake. Finding the bean in your slice of cake means that you got to be king or queen for the day and are also responsible for bringing the next cake to keep the party going.

The king cake is a mixture of a French pastry and a coffee cake. Its oval shape and festive colors give it a unique appeal. The original version features the royal colors of gold, purple, and green. Gold represents power, purple represents justice, and green signifies faith.

Though baking a plastic baby in a cake sounds like a melted mess just waiting to happen, Sproles said that’s not an issue. “It doesn’t get hot enough to melt it. Plus, they’re designed to [be cooked]. We’ve tested them, too,” he said.

Here, then, are some facts of modern king cake history. 1. New Orleans bakers added more or fewer egg yolks, Williams said, but in general the dough has become increasingly richer through the years, and much sweeter than the king cakes she remembers from her childhood. 2.

The Best King Cakes That Can Be Shipped Right to Your Door

• Manny Randazzo King Cakes (Metairie, LA)
• Paul’s Pastry Shop (Picayune, MS)
• Haydel’s Bakery (New Orleans, LA)
• Joe Gambino’s Bakery (New Orleans, LA)
• Poupart’s Bakery (Lafayette, LA)

Note: Restaurants on this map are listed geographically.

• La Boulangerie.
• Antoine’s Famous Cakes.
• Hi-Do Bakery.
• Dong Phuong Bake Shop.
• Joe’s Cafe.
• Manny Randazzo King Cakes.
• Maurice French Pastries. 3501 Hessmer Ave, Metairie, LA 70002.
• Gambino’s Bakery. 4821 Veterans Memorial Blvd, Metairie, LA 70006.

King cakes come in various flavors, but traditionally, the king cake is a cinnamon-flavored dough covered in sweet green, gold, and purple sugar or icing. Over time, other flavors became just as popular. Two of the most popular flavors are the cream-cheese and our Praline king cake.

King Cakes are oval-shaped to symbolize the unity of faiths. Each cake is decorated in the traditional Mardi Gras colors – purple representing justice, green representing faith, and gold representing power. A small baby, symbolizing the baby Jesus, is traditionally hidden inside each King Cake.

Now, Poupart’s bakery delights customers in New Orleans. Poupart’s authentic traditional French King Cake costs about $59, plus shipping. The shop also sells the Mardi Gras version as well for the same price.

2-3 days

While the traditional cinnamon flavor is by far the most popular with locals, his Pecan Praline won the Times-Picayune King of King Cakes award in 2012.