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Get a Taste of Mardi Gras

Mardi Gras, otherwise known as Fat Tuesday, marks the end of a month long celebration rich in culture and history. Although Mardi Gras can be traced back to medieval Europe, the first carnival (like the ones we are familiar with today) wasn’t held until 1781. Throughout the 1800s the celebration continued to transform through the introduction of new traditions. The Mardi Gras celebration gave rise to modern parade floats and “throws” (things thrown to parade-goers from floats that include beads and coins), but also most importantly a variety of special foods.

One common tradition is the King Cake, a giant cinnamon roll frosted with the colors of Mardi Gras. Purple stands for justice, green for faith, and gold for power. Hundreds of thousands of King Cakes are consumed during the carnival season. It is named King Cake because it represents the three kings who delivered gifts to Jesus. A plastic baby is baked inside the hollow cinnamon roll, and whoever receives the baby provides the next cake or hosts the next party. Those who receive the baby are then regarded as the King or Queen of the next party held.

Celebrate and enjoy Mardi Gras with these traditional recipes:

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