Mardi Gras King Cake

Yesterday, one of my residents from Louisiana told me that his mom sent him a King cake from home and explained that it is a dish served during Mardi Gras. I wanted to learn more about this cake before I enjoy it and it turns out that in New Orleans, the King cake dates back to the time of French settlers. If you want to learn how to make King cake, visit the two websites I used as references:
http://whatscookingamerica.net/Bread/KingCake.htm and
http://www.gumbopages.com/carnival-faq.html#king-cake

The cake's origin is Western Europe before Christianity came to be and was brought to America by the French. Originally, the cake was prepared with a bean or coin in it and the person who had the slice with the bean or coin was named the "sacred king" of the tribe for a year. At the end of the year, he would be sacrificed and his blood was returned to the soil for a better harvest. In the Christian tradition, the cake celebrates the three kings who came to visit Christ. In the 1870s, Twelfth Night Revelers celebrated with king cake during a ball. A wooden replica of the cake was made with drawers and if women found gold, then they would be named queen and silver meant membership on the royal court. The coin or bean changed to a baby during this time and whoever found the baby had to host the party in the following year. Today, the king cake is celebrated during Mardi Gras and people, like my resident's mom, send the cake to their relatives and peers in celebration.

The cake is like a big donut, has various designs, and authenticates Mardi Gras celebrations. Mardi Gras begins January 6th, the twelfth night, and goes until Ash Wednesday, which is next week. King cake is made using Danish dough, is baked, and has sugar toppings of Mardi Gras colors. Purple, green, and gold are the three main colors and they represent justice, faith, and power. King cake is yet another example of why food should be celebrated because, in many different religions and cultures, food represents a key part of history.