Sunday, January 19, 2020

Valentine’s Day Food Gifts Under $50

Heart-Shaped Linzer Cookie Baking Kit

As George Bernard Shaw once said, “there is no love sincerer than the love of food.” Which is exactly why we say skip the overpriced roses for her and ditch the cologne for him and instead give your Valentine what he or she really wants: chocolate, pasta, and other treats they’ll probably dig into immediately after unwrapping. Plus, all of these Valentine Day food gift ideas are under $50 (we can’t say the same for a bouquet of flowers—that gets expensive, fast). Below, the best Valentine’s Day gifts that won’t break the bank and will hopefully inspire your love to share.

Related Reading: The Cutest Valentine’s Day Gifts Under $25

Reese’s Hearts, $5.49 at Target

Reese’s Hearts

Target

If the recipient of this gift is displeased, you must dump them immediately. Everyone knows seasonal Reese’s are one of the best things to grace our planet—bigger in size and voluptuous in peanut-butter-to-chocolate ratio, there is truly no wrong way to eat a Reese’s. Especially when it comes from the heart, as a heart (and a whole bag, at that).Buy Now

World Market Valentine Pasta, 2 bags for $5.98 at World Market

World Market Valentine Pasta

World Market

Surprise your Valentine with a very on-theme meal, complete with heart-shaped pasta. The Valentine Pasta comes as a set of two bags, so you can cook up a large batch for a group of friends (especially if you’re hosting a singles-only dinner party) or save one for your side chick.Buy Now

Spice of Life Gift Set, $15.59 on Etsy

Spice of Life Gift Set

Spice of Life/Etsy

Some like it hot. If that’s the case with your taco-loving, can’t-get-enough-heat Valentine, give them these good-looking bottles of hot sauces, all handmade in Canada.Buy Now

Mayana Chocolate Rainbow Hearts, $16 on Mouth

Mayana Chocolate Rainbow Hearts

Mouth

Let’s face it, chocolate rarely fails. Especially on Valentine’s Day and especially when slow-cooked caramel made with high-quality fleur de sel sweetens the deal. These hearts are finished with a sprinkle of salt, offering the exact salty-sweet combination dessert lovers crave, and the lustrous rainbow colors are gorgeous to boot.Buy Now

Bang Candy Co. Sparkle Bark, $25 at Mouth

Bang Candy Co. Sparkle Bark

Mouth

Let them know they add glitter to your life with this divine combination of dark chocolate coated in pink chocolate and studded with peppermint candy. Take a bite and you’ll get a lovely mouth shock—a smattering of pop rocks.Buy Now

Honey with Super Foods Gift Set, $29.99 on Amazon

Amazon

Raw honey is that kind of thing you wish you had in your pantry but never end up buying because of sticker shock. This six-pack of raw honeys with superfoods like ginger and turmeric will tell your lovebug what you’ve been meaning to say: you’d like to do sweet things together.Buy Now

Heart-Shaped Linzer Cookie Baking Kit, $34 on Uncommon Goods

Heart-Shaped Linzer Cookie Baking Kit

Uncommon Goods

Don’t make dinner plans for the night—and feel 100 percent okay about it. Stay in and start with dessert: Bake these jam-filled, heart-shaped shortbread cookies and fall in sweet, tender love at first bite. The kit comes with literally everything you need except eggs, butter, and standard baking equipment (so it’s also perfect for bringing along if you happen to have booked a night away at a rental house.)Buy Now

Gaston’s Bakery Chocolate Croissants, 15 for $34.95 at Sur La Table

Gaston’s Bakery Chocolate Croissants

Sur La Table

Treat your sweet to a morning in Paris without leaving the house. You get 15 chocolate-filled croissants in this batch, which you should take out of the freezer the night before Valentine’s Day to thaw. Come morning, head straight for the kitchen and bake these bad boys right away, so your beloved can wake to the scent of pastry. If you prefer, you can also order plain croissants.Buy Now

Belgian Chocolate Dipped Strawberries, $36 at Sur La Table

Belgian Chocolate Dipped Strawberries Valentine's Day gift

Sur La Table

Have these indulgent strawberries delivered to your girlfriend or boyfriend or…mom. Pulling this off requires a bit of pre-planning, as delivery can take anywhere from five to seven days, so make sure to get your order in at least a week before February 14th.Buy Now

Bean Box Coffee + Chocolate Tasting Box, $38

Bean Box Coffee + Chocolate Tasting Box

Bean Box

Perfect for the caffeine addict in your life, Bean Box curates the best small batch coffee producers and delivers beans right to your door. Plus, your significant other will think of you every morning as they come to with his or her favorite roast. There are multiple subscription options, but this tasting box includes artisanal chocolate to sweeten the deal. (You can also order some Bean Box samplers on Amazon. And check out our guide to the best coffee subscriptions for even more options.)Buy Now

Flying Bird Tea Trio, $41 at Mouth

Valentine's tea gift set

Mouth.com

Perhaps your boo is anti-Valentine’s Day because they don’t identify as a chocolate person. Show your love you know them best with this fancy tea trio that includes a green matcha blend, a white lemon ginger, and a chai. All will keep them warm on the dreariest of winter days left ahead.Buy Now

Sugarfina Pop the Champagne Gift Set, $48 at Neiman Marcus

Sugarfina Pop the Champagne Gift Set

Neiman Marcus

A Champagne-filled Valentine’s Day is certain to be a good one, so take it to the next level with this Sugarfina gift set. It comes with three cubes of bubbly-flavored gummy bears and two festive flutes for sipping the real stuff (or, you know, Prosecco) alongside. Cheers!Buy Now

Check out our Valentine’s Day 2020 Gift Guide headquarters for even more ideas for every budget, taste, and personality.

Related Video: A Homemade Valentine’s Day Cocktail With Kombucha



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Valentine’s Day 2020 Gift Guide: The Best Gifts for Food Lovers

Valentine's Day 2019 gift guide (best Valentine's Day gifts chocolate food)

Love it or hate it, the heart-shaped boxes of chocolate roll out right after New Year’s, and it’s never too early to start looking for the perfect Valentine’s Day gift.

It’s not too late (yet) to make a reservation at the hottest spot in town, but you could always plan to cook something romantic at home. And you may as well lock down the perfect present for your boyfriend, girlfriend, just plain friend, your mom, or even yourself, ASAP (because you know soon it’ll be Feb. 10 and you’ll wonder where the time went). Even if you hate Valentine’s Day with a passion, it’s still a great excuse to show a little love.

These Valentine’s Day gift guides are full of exciting, adorable, inspiring, and just plain delicious options for her, for him, for you, for everyone—whether you crave something sweet, savory, expensive, practical, or just plain unusual. We’ll be updating each individual guide below throughout the week (and adding new options on through Valentine’s Day—and Galentine’s Day—2020), so you’re sure to find the perfect present to show you care.

For True Food Lovers

Give them something amazingly delicious and they’ll remember it forever.

Most Romantic Food Gifts for Valentine’s Dayupdated

the history of Veuve Clicquot and the widow Madame Clicquot

Veuve Clicquot

From boutique macarons and pink Champagne to couples cooking classes, these gifts will make any food lover’s heart rate spike. See our Valentine’s Day 2020 Gift Guide: Most Romantic Food Gifts.

Best Luxury Food Gifts for Valentine’s Dayupdated

luxury food and drink gifts for Valentine's Day 2020 (including fresh black truffles from Food52)

Bobbi Lin/Food52

Have a Valentine with expensive tastes? These high-end food and drink gifts will make them swoon. See our Valentine’s Day 2020 Gift Guide: Best Luxury Food Gifts.

Budget Bae

While it is certainly the thought that counts, it can feel really nice to give (and receive) a little something tangible. These gifts won’t break the bank, but will melt hearts.

Best Valentine’s Gifts Under $25updated

Feast Your Eyes food photography book

Amazon

You can find plenty of sweet, funny, and thoughtful gifts for $25 and under (sometimes way under), as these items prove. And most are available on Amazon Prime, so you can get them on short notice too! See our Valentine’s Day 2020 Gift Guide: Gifts Under $25.

Best Valentine’s Day Food Gifts Under $50updated

Heart-Shaped Linzer Cookie Baking Kit

Uncommon Goods

If you have a little more cash to drop, check out these under-$50 options, all of which happen to be edible. See our Valentine’s Day 2019 Gift Guide: Best Food Gifts Under $50.

Sweet Treats

Valentine’s Day chocolates are classic, but these are truly exceptional. (And for those who like a sugar high but don’t do cocoa, we’ve got options for them too.)

Unique Chocolate Options for Valentine’s Day — updated

Small-Batch Organic Chocolate Library Gift Box

Food52

If your Valentine won’t be satisfied with the usual chocolate bonbons, no matter how high-quality, look to more offbeat chocolate options like these. See our Valentine’s Day 2020 Gift Guide: Unique Chocolate Treats.

Best Valentine’s Day Treats to Send Long Distance

best mail order Valentine's Day treats delivery

Southern Baked

Show someone affection from afar by sending them a surprise gift that’s sweet in more ways than one. See our Valentine’s Day 2019 Gift Guide: Best Mail-Order Treats to Have Delivered.

Practically Romantic

From the best cookware to the best cookbooks, these gifts will be used again and again.

Swoon-Worthy Red & Pink Kitchen Gifts for Valentine’s Daynew

Food52 knives

Food52

Add a pop of color to your beloved’s kitchen with these elegant yet on-theme red and pink tools. See our Valentine’s Day 2020 Gift Guide: Best Red & Pink Kitchen Gadgets.

Heart-Shaped Kitchen Tools for Valentine’s Dayupdated

Nordic Ware Sweetheart Waffler (Norwegian Heart-Shaped Waffle Iron)

Nordic Ware/Amazon

The way to one’s heart is through one’s stomach, but sometimes the reverse is also true. For your sweetheart who likes to cook with love, these heart-shaped kitchen tools are just the thing. See our Valentine’s Day 2020 Gift Guide: Best Heart-Shaped Kitchen Items.

Valentine’s Gifts for Passionate Home Cooksupdated

Food52 cooling rack

Food52

If your S.O. is immune to the charms of heart-shaped goodies and just wants to get down to business in the kitchen, give them something they’ll use all the time. See our Valentine’s Day 2020 Gift Guide: Best Gifts for Home Cooks.

Potent Potables

Cocktails, mocktails, beer, or wine—whatever your sweetie likes to sip, there’s a perfect present for them below.

The Most Romantic Valentine’s Day Cocktail Ingredientsupdated

Luxardo cherries for cocktails

Chowhound

Got a mixologist main squeeze? Give them these decidedly romantic cocktail ingredients for their bar cart, and maybe you’ll sip something sweet together. See our Valentine’s Day 2020 Gift Guide: Most Romantic Cocktail Ingredients.

Valentine’s Day Beers

Valentine's Day beer

Carton Brewing

Give your favorite craft beer fan some chocolate stouts, sure, but don’t sleep on beers brewed with oysters, roses, and even Champagne yeast and caviar. See our Valentine’s Day 2019 Gift Guide: Best Picks for Craft Beer Lovers.

Wonderful Wine Subscriptions for Your Valentine

best wine subscription boxes and best wine clubs

Shutterstock

Only have eyes for an oenophile? Give them a wine subscription that suits their style and they’ll be drunk in love. See our Valentine’s Day 2020 Gift Guide: Best Wine Subscriptions.

Mocktail Must-Haves

Belvoir Fruit Farms elderflower cordial

Belvoir Fruit Farms/Facebook

Have a zero-proof paramour who still likes to get fancy? Treat them to some marvelous mocktail ingredients so they can make top-notch tipples without the alcohol . (Because true love is intoxicating enough.) See our Valentine’s Day 2020 Gift Guide: Best Mocktail Ingredients.

Galentine’s Goodies

Honestly, pretty much any and everything from all of these guides would be great to give your gals (or pals) to show you care, but in honor of the occasion…

Best Galentine’s Day Gifts for Your Girlsupdated

chocolate rose tea

Tea Forté

Lovely gifts for your favorite ladies, because you should never underestimate the importance of girlfriends; be sure to remind them you know how lucky you are to have your besties in your life. See our Galentine’s Day 2019 Gift Guide.

Last Minute Valentine’s Day Gifts

Your Amazon Prime account can save you from a snafu (can’t always say the same for the grocery store candy aisle). Lots of the other guides on this list also include Prime-eligible options, but these two are dedicated to last-minute gifts that don’t seem like they are. That means they’re also perfect for ordering well ahead of time too.

Best Gifts for Her on Amazon — updated

Jonathan Adler mod decanters

Jonathan Adler/Amazon

Don’t let the “for her” stop you from nabbing any of these charming gifts for whoever is on your shopping list. Seriously, there’s something for everyone, from design/art nerds to tea lovers and home bakers. See our Valentine’s Day 2020 Gift Guide: Best Gifts for Her on Amazon.

Best Gifts for Him on Amazon — updated

Marcato pasta machine

Marcato/Amazon

Ditto these more traditionally “masculine” gifts that appeal to a wide array of people, passions, and styles. See our Valentine’s Day 2020 Gift Guide: Best Gifts for Him on Amazon.

Related Video: How to Make a Valentine’s Day Cocktail with Kombucha to Show You Care



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Instant Pot Chicken and Rice

Classic chicken and rice adapted for the pressure cooker! Combine everything in the pot, and come back to a perfectly cooked casserole. Easy, cozy weeknight dinner.

Continue reading "Instant Pot Chicken and Rice" »



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This Atlanta Fried Chicken Is Served With a Side of History

Atlanta, Paschal's fried chicken

The kitchen door swings to and fro as endless plates of fried chicken breeze through the restaurant, releasing a sizzle and wafts of buttery spice. A tinkling of jazz mingles with the low hum of chatter.

In one leather-upholstered booth, a man whose stature defies his 5-foot-6-inch frame huddles with a group–chewing on chicken wings and making plans that might just change the world.

The year is 1963, the place: Paschal’s Restaurant & Coffee Shop in Atlanta. The man? Dr Martin Luther King, Jr.

This unassuming American diner was the unofficial headquarters of the civil rights movement in Atlanta. At Paschal’s, Dr. King, John Lewis, and co. strategized over baskets of chicken and catfish, piling plates high with wilted collard greens, mac ‘n’ cheese, and candied yams.

The chicken itself, still served at its current Castleberry Hill location, is equally legendary. A golden, peppery coating gives way with a crack, revealing meat soft as butter. The secret recipe, involving around a dozen different spices, hasn’t changed since Robert and James Paschal first opened in 1947.

Paschal's fried chicken in Atlanta

Ella Buchan

The brothers’ business began with a 30-seat diner selling sandwiches and coffee. With no stove, Robert brined and fried his chicken at home, delivering batches via taxi. In 1959, they moved to bigger, better-equipped premises across the road.

Customers flocked through the doors. Paschal’s location, on a thoroughfare in a black community, combined with the brothers’ refusal to observe segregation, added to its popularity.

But it was the patronage of one Dr. King that propelled the restaurant to iconic status.

Marshall Slack has waited tables at Paschal’s since it opened. He can often be found regaling customers with stories of how, in the early 1960s, Dr. King approached James Paschal, introduced himself, and inquired about holding meetings there.

“He [Dr. King] didn’t have any money to really pay for a room or pay for anything, but he wanted to start a coalition,” said Slack.

In his 2006 memoir, James Paschal recalled how the civil rights leader asked to bring fellow activists to the restaurant to “eat, meet, rest, plan and strategize.”

photograph of original Paschal's restaurant in Atlanta

Ella Buchan

“How could we refuse?” he wrote. “We had the resources and the place. We believed we had been called to be part of the Movement.”

The memoir names the 1963 March on Washington among events that were planned, at least partly, at Paschal’s.

“I think it’s less that [the Paschal brothers] chose to be in the civil rights movement, and more that it chose them,” Atlanta chef Todd Richards told me.

An active member of the Southern Foodways Alliance, which aims to preserve and study the history and culture of culinary traditions in America’s South, Richards published a cookbook, “Soul”, focusing on the recipes he grew up with.

Soul: A Chef's Culinary Evolution in 150 Recipes, $35 on Amazon

Buy Now

“Historically, [Paschal’s is] one of the most iconic places in the city,” he added. “Outside of church, restaurants were probably the largest meeting spaces available. They provided food and shelter, a safe haven.”

“Paschal’s was known throughout the South. It started with how delicious the food was, and became a meeting place later. You still can’t get a bad piece of fried chicken there.”

The brothers’ role went beyond serving great food in the restaurant. They delivered baskets of chicken and sandwiches to those marching and protesting against segregation, posting bail for activists who were arrested. They regularly stayed open late, providing shelter and sustenance for those awaiting the release of loved ones.

Robert Paschal died in 1997, soon after the brothers had a street named after them. Aptly, Paschal Boulevard intersects with Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. James opened the current location in 2002. Since his death in 2008, the place has been operated by family members.

Atlanta's Paschal's restaurant

Ella Buchan

An illustration of Dr. King dominates the dining room. Upstairs is a banqueting suite dedicated to the late Maynard Jackson. The city’s first black mayor was so frequent a patron that Paschal’s was dubbed “Little City Hall.” The room is a gallery of civil rights heroes: John Lewis, Coretta Scott King, Hosea Williams.

Paschal’s was part of another movement: one that popularized soul food. Likening fried chicken to duck confit in terms of the skill and preparation involved, chef Richards fears that higher taxes and rents, and expensive ingredients could threaten institutions like Paschal’s—unless customers pay more.

“People have a hard time separating race from the cost of food. The assumption is that if an African-American person is cooking it, it should be cheap. But it cannot be served cheap anymore,” he said. “These places won’t be able to stay open. They have to start charging what it’s worth. It’s up to us to celebrate these restaurants before they close, and to celebrate their history.”



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The Best Galentine’s Day Gifts for Your Girls

chocolate rose tea

Let’s hear it for the girls! Galentine’s Day is all about appreciating the strong women in your life who support you day in and day out. While one gift could never communicate how important they are in your life—we’ve rounded up some sweet items that will definitely help you show them that you care. From delicious teas to heart-shaped serving dishes—there’s definitely something in here that your bestie will love almost as much as she loves you.

Swedish Folk Art Unicorn Embroidered Dish Towel, $6.75 on Etsy

Swedish Folk Art Unicorn Embroidered Dish Towel

Sew Happy Crafts/Etsy

When I was getting married, I got the best gift idea from my mother-in-law after one of my showers: Wrapping candles in cute kitchen towels! She helped me decorate hostess gifts and tied them up with the cutest ribbons. This would be perfect for your friends if you’re hosting a Galentine’s Day party or just hoping to let them know you care.Buy Now

LAFCO Duchess Peony Candle, $60 on Amazon

LAFCO peony candle Valentine's Galentine's gift

LAFCO/Amazon

This candle is the perfect floral scent to sit in your kitchen or on your dining room table. It has hinds of rose, peony, cassis berries, camellia, and musk. Also—the jar is so delicate and pretty. Reuse it for holding small trinkets or loose change when the candle’s gone.Buy Now

Porto Heart Plate, $32 at Nordstrom

Porto Heart Plate

Nordstrom

This ceramic heart platter would be so cute alone or filled up with your best friend’s favorite chocolates. It may be shaped like a heart, but its milky white color would make it the perfect serving dish for girls’ nights year-round.Buy Now

“Whiskey in  a Teacup” by Reese Witherspoon, $15.51 on Amazon

Reese Witherspoon cookbook Whiskey in a Teacup

Amazon

Not only does this cookbook contain the best Southern recipes, it features life lessons that will be uplifting for any lady in your life.Buy Now

Chocolate Rose Tea, $15 at Tea Forté

chocolate rose tea

Tea Forté

Your best bud can think of you every time she sits down to have a relaxing cup of tea. To say the chocolate rose tea from Tea Forté is delicious is an understatement. It features hints of chocolate with a rosy floral finish.Buy Now

TruCup Heart of Bold Coffee, $12.95 at TruCup

TruCup heart of bold low acid coffee

TruCup

This “Heart of Bold” TruCup Coffee’s name is almost as perfect as its flavor. It’s has a rich, bold taste, but it’s low acid—meaning it won’t irritate your stomach. Believe me, your galentines will thank you. (Also available on Amazon.)Buy Now

Little Black Box, $49 at WineSociety

WineSociety canned wines

WineSociety

This canned wine comes in red, white and rosé blends—and it’s delicious. WineSociety also offers a gift box option that will have your friends falling head over heels. (Check out Vinebox’s Valentine’s Day reds and roses, and some great wine subscriptions too.)Buy Now

Pink Reactive Glazed Heart Handle Mug, $5.99 at World Market

Pink Reactive Glazed Heart Handle Mug

World Market

Pretty in pink with a sweet heart-shaped handle, these mugs are the perfect gift for your best gal. They’re cheap enough that you can get two and have friendship mugs—much more practical than friendship necklaces.Buy Now

Anthropologie Catriona Apron Set, $50 at Nordstrom

Anthropologie Catriona Apron Set

Nordstrom

Your galentine will look adorable and feel ready to make treats for the two of you with this floral apron. Bonus: It comes with a matching pot holder. Get yourself a set and bake your hearts out.Buy Now

Zen Kitchen Heart Fondue Set, $23.65 on Amazon

Zen Kitchen Heart Fondue Set

Amazon

This heart fondue pot is the perfect, easy way to do something interactive when the girls are over. Set out a platter of fruits, breads and anything else that you want to slather in chocolate! (Try this Chocolate Stout Fondue recipe with Homemade Lambic Marshmallows, or for something more traditional, our Easy Chocolate Fondue recipe.)Buy Now

Check out our Valentine’s Day gift ideas for more presents perfect for your galentines too.

Related Video: How to Make a Valentine’s (or Galentine’s) Day Cocktail with Kombucha

Galentine's Party Guidebook

How to Host the Perfect Galentine’s Day Bash


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The History of King Cake for Mardi Gras

Mardi Gras king cake

The intersection between the secular and the religious is a fair starting block for any exploration of beloved holiday traditions, and the Mardi Gras king cake tradition is no exception. However, though the Christmas tree, Easter Bunny, and Halloween costumes are pagan icons that became attached over time to religious or spiritual celebrations, the king cake is an example of a Christian relic that became intertwined with the festival of Mardi Gras, itself a Christian/Catholic tradition, though one whose practice has taken a decidedly left turn, especially in the Big Easy. (A left turn down Bourbon St., one might add.)

To Begin, What Is a King Cake?

The recognized version in New Orleans is more of an iced bread than a cake, or what might be considered a coffee cake.

“A traditional king cake tastes like a cross between a coffee cake and a cinnamon roll. It should be moist, but not dense and include cinnamon throughout,” say Maggie Robert and Alessandra Madrid of the New Orleans lifestyle blog Babes & Beignets.

Mardi Gras king cake recipe

Chowhound

A king cake is made from a yeasted dough, scented or rolled with cinnamon and shaped into a ring, then coated with a simple sugar icing and decorated with sprinkles in the official colors of Mardi Gras: purple, green, and gold. (For “justice, faith, and power.”) A plastic baby figurine is hidden within the cake, and the person whose slice contains it receives both privileges and responsibilities. A brightly colored bread-cake with a hidden figurine? Naturally, there’s lots to unpack here.

Mini Plastic Babies, 180 for $10.99 on Amazon

Many more than you'll need, but you never know when the extras will come in handy...
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The Origins of King Cake—And Why There’s a Baby Inside It

In the midst of the colorful parades, beads, cocktails, and general debauchery, it’s easy to forget that New Orleans’ Mardi Gras itself is, at its core, a celebration related to Lent. “Fat Tuesday” occurs as a permissive day of indulgence before the start of Lent, a period of fasting and reflection before Easter. (Mostly as a kid I spent most of my time reflecting on how much I missed the chocolate I had been forced to give up.) In the modern American celebration of Mardi Gras in New Orleans, the permissive element has certainly been magnified (apparently the day got mixed up along the way with a previous Roman celebration of fertility, ahem), but it stands as no surprise that a French pastry with a religious origin should have a role in it.

What is surprising, perhaps, is that the pastry itself has root in a different holiday: that is, Christmas. This perhaps explains both the name, and the baby. According to Manny Randazzo Original King Cakes, one of the foremost bakeries of the form in New Orleans: “The Mardi Gras or Carnival season officially begins on January 6th or the ‘Twelfth Night,’ also known to Christians as the ‘Epiphany.’ Epiphany comes from a Greek word that means ‘to show.’ Jesus first showed himself to the three wise men (i.e. Kings) and to the world on this day. As a symbol of this Holy Day, a tiny plastic baby is placed inside each King Cake.”


The cake itself was developed in France several centuries ago as a symbolic “lure” for the three kings; a yearly celebration of their arrival. It is thought to have been introduced to New Orleans, along with other elements of French culture, in the late 1800s, though Robert and Madrid point out that “the New Orleans and Louisiana cakes have evolved into what they are today and are not very similar in taste or appearance to those you will still find in regions of Europe.” For a taste of the original, see the Babes & Beignets French King Cake recipe. That there is a king as well of Mardi Gras, honored in the largest parade sponsored by the Krewe of Rex, made it especially co-optable for the circumstance. It is this king that knighted the Nola king cake with its tri-colored cloak of sprinkles.

Where to Find King Cakes


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Who else is having a king cake party?? #GAMBINOS

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King cakes continue to be a huge part of the baking industry in New Orleans for the first couple of months of the year. As described on the Babes & Beignets blog, “In Nola, there is no break between the holiday diet and king cake season.” Additionally, say Robert and Madrid, “King Cakes can be enjoyed all day, every day. People usually bring them to their offices and schools to share with their coworkers or classmates and whoever gets the king cake baby has to bring the next king cake! We also enjoy them at gatherings that take place during Mardi Gras: from meetups to make Mardi Gras costumes and throws, to get togethers-hosted solely for the purpose of tasting the various types of king cakes, to on the actual parade routes!”

Gambino's Filled King Cake, $59 on Goldbelly

This cake comes fully baked with the golden baby inside; icing and colored sugar separately packaged so you can put on the finishing touches just before you serve.
Buy Now

Famous New Orleans purveyors of the treat include the aforementioned Manny Randazzo, as well as Joe Gambino’s, Paul’s, Haydel’s, and Poupart’s. Robert and Madrid also put Dong Phuong Bakeshop and Sucré on their list of favorites.

Many of these have mail-order options for your Mardi Gras celebrations, whether you err on the side of sacred or sacrilegious. Or if you’re up to the task of full immersion, try our Mardi Gras King Cake recipe.

Related Video: Get the Party Started with These Mardi Gras Cocktails



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