King Cake Story

by Eddie P.
(New Orleans, Louisiana)

When we were kids growing up in New Orleans in the 1960s, we had king cake parties every year during the Mardi Gras season. Since we lived in the middle of a block that had 88 kids by the late 60s, we often had parties and neighborhood gatherings at our house.

One year when we had the first king cake party of the season, one of my friends from down the street got the baby that was hidden inside the cake. That meant he had to buy the king cake for the next party. He tried to hide the baby in his sock but his subterfuge was discovered and he had to buy the next cake. back them they cost a couple of bucks. Today, a medium king cake at many bakeries costs around $15.

We have many great memories of this traditional Mardi Gras treat. I had several pieces of king cake during the 2008 Mardi Gras season, which was an early one. Some bakeries produce them year round, so if you want to find out what we New Orleanians have known about for a long time, I suggest that you order one!