A City Drenched in Sugar: King Cakes for Holy Days

THE NEW YORK TIMES
By Julia Moskin

A doberge king cake from the bakery Debbie Does Doberge in
New Orleans. Each king cake conceals a bite-size figurine, usually of a baby.

NEW ORLEANS---Other cities might be trudging through cabbage season at this point in winter, but New Orleans is eating cake. From Twelfth Night to Mardi Gras, which is Feb. 12 this year, daily consumption of king cake — a round of sweet dough glazed with purple, gold and green sugar — is more or less compulsory. It’s a clue that although this city’s rémoulades and gumbos and Sazeracs are renowned, there is also a world of sweet treats to explore. King cake is popular all over this region, but in New Orleans it is always striped with green, gold and purple sugar — the colors that represent faith, power and justice in the complex symbolism of the Mardi Gras, decreed by parade clubs or “krewes” here in the 19th century. Most important, each king cake conceals a bite-size figurine, usually of a baby that traditionally represents Jesus. Whoever finds the baby in his slice has to hold the next party and buy the next cake — thus, the continuity of king cake season is preserved. [link]