New Orleans King Cake
In southern U.S.A., the tradition was brought to the area by colonists from France and Spain. King cake parties in New Orleans are documented back to the eighteenth century.
The king cake of the New Orleans Mardi Gras tradition comes in a number of styles. The most simple, said to be the most traditional, is a ring of twisted bread similar to that used in brioche topped with icing or sugar, usually coloured purple, green, and gold (the traditional Carnival colors) with food colouring.
Some varieties have filling inside, the most common being cream cheese followed by praline. Popular bakeries such as Gambino's, Haydel, and Randazzo, feature original recipes and types of king cakes.
It has become customary in the New Orleans culture that whoever finds the trinket must provide the next king cake.
Source: King cake - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
