The Mardi Gras season has begun in full swing (with the season starting this past Saturday), and just because we’re not in NOLA doesn’t mean we can’t celebrate in Southern-style, right here in #HamOnt! What’s the best way to celebrate Mardi Gras? With food, of course!
One of the most popular and well-known food options during the Mardi Gras celebration is the King Cake. In New Orleans, hundreds of thousands of King Cakes are eaten during the Carnival season. It’s been said that the King Cake originated in France in the 1870s, with the colours of the King Cake originally representing colours related to the Epiphany (the day Mardi Gras celebrations begin): Purple for Justice, Green for Faith and Gold for Power.
What is a King Cake?
A King Cake is a hollow sweet brioche dough in the shape of a circle, topped with a glaze and sprinkled with coloured sugar; sort of a mix between a coffee cake-style baked good and a French pastry. King Cakes often have a small plastic baby hidden inside and the person who gets the piece of cake with the hidden baby will receive good luck and prosperity (but also are now responsible for buying the King Cake next year 😉 ).
No worries, I’m not expecting you to bake this King Cake up on your own – because we have a little taste of the South right in our very own city; with Mississippi Queen Foods! Mississippi Queen Foods is offering King Cakes for $45 each (approximately 15 slices per cake), complete with the hidden plastic baby. Order the King Cakes via phone at 905-526-0909 or email connie@mississippiqueenfoods.com
If you’re feeling like you want to celebrate Mardi Gras even further, Connie at Mississippi Queen Foods also hosts private Mardi Gras parties for you and your friends! Bring over 8-20 people for lunch or dinner, and choose from her special party menu full of Southern favourites (like Blackened Shrimp, Creole Red Beans and Rice and Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya, to name a few).
For more information or to book a private party, visit The Mississippi Queen Foods Facebook page or the Mississippi Queen Foods website.
*King Cake photo courtesy of Mississippi Queen Foods