Warning: file_put_contents(/opt/frankenphp/design.onmedianet.com/storage/proxy/cache/2078ba15d8c46cab9fb66d1cf49c8ae0.html): Failed to open stream: No space left on device in /opt/frankenphp/design.onmedianet.com/app/src/Arsae/CacheManager.php on line 36

Warning: http_response_code(): Cannot set response code - headers already sent (output started at /opt/frankenphp/design.onmedianet.com/app/src/Arsae/CacheManager.php:36) in /opt/frankenphp/design.onmedianet.com/app/src/Models/Response.php on line 17

Warning: Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /opt/frankenphp/design.onmedianet.com/app/src/Arsae/CacheManager.php:36) in /opt/frankenphp/design.onmedianet.com/app/src/Models/Response.php on line 20
King cake - Wikipedia Jump to content

King cake

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
King cake
Two slices of a Manny Randazzo King Cake, with a plastic infant "King" on top, from Metairie, Louisiana, United States.
TypeCake
Place of originLatin Europe
Region or stateFrance, Portugal, Spain, Latin America
Similar dishes
  •  
     Media: King cake

A king cake, also known as a three kings cake or a baby cake, is a cake associated in many countries with Epiphany, the celebration of the Twelfth Night after Christmas.[1] Traditionally made with brioche dough, in most cases a fève (lit. 'fava bean') such as a figurine representing the Christ Child, was hidden inside.[2] After the cake is cut, whoever finds the fève in their slice wins a prize.[3][2] In a nod to tradition, a plastic baby figurine is often taped to the packaging of commercially produced cakes. Modern fèves can be made of other materials, but always represent the King or Baby Jesus.[4]

History

[edit]
See also: Vasilopita § Origins
Le gâteau des Rois, by Jean-Baptiste Greuze, 1774 (Musée Fabre)

The origin of the cake tradition was popularly believed to be related to the Roman Saturnalia.[5] These were festivals dedicated to the god Saturn so that the Roman people, in general could celebrate the longer days that began to come after the winter solstice.[6] For this reason, Margaret Hasluck disputed the Greek tradition commemorating St. Basil's feast day with vasilopita, claiming that both customs had a common origin in the Saturnalia and Kronia.[7]

In the Middle Ages, it was said that the king who was chosen had to pay the assembly a general round of drinks. To prevent cheating, the edible bean was replaced by a porcelain bean.[8] In Christian tradition the cake commemorates the witness of the "Three Kings".[9][10]

The earliest known reference to a king cake in North America, including a recipe, dates to 1649. An early French settler of Port Royal, Acadia (now Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia) was required to deliver annually to the lord of Port Royal and his wife, "on the eve of the Feast of Kings ... a round cake made with a quarter bushel of the finest white wheat flour, kneaded with six eggs and half a pound of the freshest butter, with a black bean placed in the cake’s edge ... to their château and seigneurial manor at Port Royal."[11]

The tradition of the Mardi Gras king cake did not become established until the 20th-century, although the ubiquitous gold, purple and green sprinkles have been standard decoration since 1872. The cake is usually purchased at a shop. Many holiday foods have rituals and customs connected to the preparation of the food, but the customs of the kings cake mainly revolve around the fève.[12] Sugar was always a big industry in New Orleans, where local bakeries took an active role in turning the cake into a modern cultural icon. Old-fashioned versions of the cake are basically a round braided brioche without filling but these days bakeries try to outdo one another with creative fillings.[13][14]

Middle Ages

[edit]
A sliced King Cake (frangipane galette).

The sharing of the galette is associated with the celebration of the Three Kings during Epiphany, for Christians.[15] In the Middle Ages, the great lords sometimes appointed a king of the feast, who was entertained during the meal[16]. [who?], wishing to show the piety of this prince at the end of the 14thth century, notes:

on the Day of Kings (at Epiphany), he made king a child of eight years old, the poorest that could be found in the whole city. He dressed him in royal clothes and gave him his own officers to serve him. The next day, the child still ate at the duke’s table, then came his steward who made a collection for the poor king. The Duke of Bourbon usually gave him forty livres, all the knights of the court each gave one franc, and the squires each a half-franc[17].

The sum came to nearly one hundred francs, which was given to the father and mother so that their child might be sent to school.[18][19]

In his Private Life of the French, Legrand d’Aussy writes that, as early as 1311, puff pastry cakes are mentioned in a charter of Robert II of Fouilloy, bishop of Amiens[20]. Often, such cakes were even used to pay seigneurial dues[21]. Thus, every year at Fontainebleau, on 1 May, the officers of the forest gathered at a place called “the king’s table,” and there, all the officers or vassals who could take wood from the forest and pasture their herds came to pay homage and render their dues[22]. Newlyweds of the year, residents of certain neighborhoods of the city, and those of an entire parish each owed only one cake[23]. Likewise, when the king made his entry into their city, the burghers of Amiens were required to present him with a cake of one setier of wheat[24]


French Revolution

[edit]
Caricature: “The King’s Cake, drawn at the Congress of Vienna in 1815”

When the Revolution came, even the very name “King’s Cake” became dangerous[25], and Pierre-Louis Manuel, from the rostrum of the Convention, unsuccessfully attempted to obtain the banning of the King’s Cake[26], but the galette triumphed over the tribune[27]. Shortly after, a decree of the Commune, during the session of 31 December 1791, changed the Day of Kings into the “Day of the sans-culottes”, leaving the cake without a reason to exist[28].

This disappearance, however, was only temporary, for the sans-culottes had renamed Epiphany as the “Festival of Good Neighborliness”[29], and a decree of 4 Nivôse Year III[30] recommended sharing the “Galette of Equality[31],” which soon reappeared on all family tables.

Regional variants

[edit]

French-speaking countries and regions

[edit]
Northern French style galette des rois
Southern French style gâteau des rois

There are two different versions of the French king cake: the galette and the gâteau. The galette des rois is a flaky puff pastry traditionally filled with frangipane. These days the filling may also be fruit, chocolate or cream-based fillings. It has become a tradition for pastry chefs to create innovative versions of the galette featuring ingredients like flavored liquors, candied fruits and ganache.[32]

The gâteau des rois associated mainly with the region of Provence in the south of France is a brioche dough decorated with candied fruit and coarse sugar.[33]

The Guianan galette (more commonly known as the Creole galette) is a traditional pastry of French Guianan cuisine. This is a Creole variant of the galette des rois which is eaten as a dessert during Epiphany.[34] It can be garnished with cream, coconut, guava, etc. It is consumed throughout the Carnival period (from the Epiphany until Lent, ending Ash Wednesday) and preferably accompanied by champagne.[citation needed]

A paper crown is included with purchased cakes to crown the "king" or "queen" who finds the "fève" or bean, or coin hidden inside the cake. To ensure a random distribution of the pieces, the youngest person is to place themselves under the table and name the recipient of each piece as they are cut.[35] When store-bought, the fève can be a tiny porcelain figurine of a religious character or, nowadays, a figurine referencing pop-culture or popular cartoons.[citation needed]

German-speaking countries

[edit]

The German and Swiss Dreikönigskuchen 'three kings cakes' are shaped like wreathes or rounds, and use an almond as the fève.[36]

Portugal

[edit]

Bolo-rei (lit. 'king cake') is a traditional Portuguese cake eaten from the beginning of December until Epiphany.[37] The recipe is derived from the Southern French gâteau des rois, which found its way to Portugal during the 1800s when Confeitaria Nacional[38] opened as the Portuguese monarchy's official bakery in 1829.[39]

The cake is round with a large hole in the centre,[40] resembling a crown covered with crystallized and dried fruit.[citation needed] It is baked from a soft, white dough, with raisins, various nuts and crystallized fruit. Also included is the dried fava bean, and tradition dictates that whoever finds the fava has to pay for the cake next year.[41]

Roscón de reyes

[edit]
Traditional plain roscón de reyes
A roscón de reyes from Castellón with whipped cream

The roscón de reyes is eaten in Spain and Latin America. Recipes vary from country to country and between cultures but tend to be similar. It generally has an oval shape due to the need to make cakes large enough for large groups. For decoration, figs, quinces, cherries, or dried and candied fruits are often, but not exclusively, used.[42][43][44]

In Spain the cake consists of a sweet brioche dough aromatised with orange blossom water and decorated with slices of candied or crystallized fruit of various colors. It can be filled with whipped cream, cream, almond paste or others. The figurine traditionally represents one of the Three Wise Men Biblical Magi. A dry broad bean is also introduced inside the roscón. It is tradition that whoever finds the bean pays for the roscón.[45][44]

In Mexico, Central and South America, the figurine represents the Child Jesus. The figurine of the baby Jesus hidden in the bread represents the flight of the Holy Family, fleeing from Herod the Great's Massacre of the Innocents. Whoever finds the baby Jesus figurine is blessed and must take the figurine to the nearest church on Candlemas Day[46] or host a party that day.[47]

United Kingdom

[edit]

The Twelfth cake, Twelfth-night cake, or Twelfth-tide cake[48][36] was once popular in the United Kingdom on Twelfth Night. It was frequently baked with a bean hidden in one side and a pea hidden in the other; the man/lord finding the bean became King for the night, while the woman/lady finding the pea became the Queen[49] – also known as the Lord or Lady of Misrule.[50] Earlier, in the time of Shakespeare, there was only a Lord of Misrule, chosen by the hidden bean, reflected in Shakespeare's play Twelfth Night.[51]

Samuel Pepys recorded a party in London on Epiphany night 1659/1660, and described the role the cake played in the choosing of a "King" and "Queen" for the occasion: "to my cousin Stradwick, where, after a good supper, there being there my father, mother, brothers, and sister, my cousin Scott and his wife, Mr. Drawwater and his wife, and her brother, Mr. Stradwick, we had a brave cake brought us, and in the choosing, Pall was Queen and Mr. Stradwick was King. After that my wife and I bid adieu and came home, it being still a great frost."[52]

Although still occasionally found in the United Kingdom, as the Industrial Revolution curtailed the celebration of the 12 days of Christmas during the Victorian era,[53] the cake declined in popularity to be replaced by the Christmas cake. 18th century actor Robert Baddeley's will bequeathed £3 per annum to serve wine, punch and a Twelfth Night cake to the performers of the Drury Lane Theatre in the green room each Twelfth Night; the ceremony of the "Baddeley Cake" has remained a regular event, missed only 13 times in over 200 years, during wartimes or theatre closures.[54]

United States

[edit]
Baby figure popularly used in Louisiana (U.S.) king cake

In Louisiana and parts of the Gulf Coast region historically settled by the French, king cake is associated with Mardi Gras and is traditionally served from Epiphany until Carnival[55] and recently year-round.[56] It may have been introduced by Basque settlers in 1718,[57] or by the French in 1870.[58]

It comes in a number of styles. The simplest, said to be the most traditional, is a ring of twisted cinnamon roll-style dough. It may be topped with icing or sugar, which may be colored to show the traditional Mardi Gras colors of purple for justice, green for faith, and gold for power.[55] Cakes may also be filled with cream cheese, praline, cinnamon, or an assortment of fruit fillings.[59]

Traditionally, a small plastic baby,[60] symbolizing Jesus, is hidden in the king cake and is a way for residents of Louisiana to celebrate their Christian faith.[61] The baby symbolizes luck and prosperity to whoever finds it. That person is also responsible for purchasing next week's cake[62] or hosting the next Mardi Gras party.[59][63] Often, bakers place the baby outside of the cake, leaving the purchaser to hide it themselves. This is usually to avoid liability for any choking hazard.[64]

In 2009, the New Orleans Pelicans basketball team introduced the King Cake Baby as a seasonal mascot.[65] The New Orleans Baby Cakes (formerly the Zephyrs) were a AAA baseball team that played their final three seasons (2017–2019) with that name before relocating and becoming the Wichita Wind Surge.[citation needed]

[edit]
  • Portuguese Bolo Rei
    Portuguese Bolo Rei
  • Roscón
    Roscón
  • Mexican Rosca de reyes
    Mexican Rosca de reyes
  • Dreikönigskuchen in Switzerland
    Dreikönigskuchen in Switzerland

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Okholm, Trevecca (21 July 2020). The Grandparenting Effect: Bridging Generations One Story at a Time. Wipf and Stock Publishers. p. 134. ISBN 978-1-7252-5484-8.
  2. ^ a b Eliza Barclay: Is That a Plastic Baby Jesus in My Cake, National Public Radio from 2012-2-17(englisch)
  3. ^ "History of King Cakes". New Orleans Showcase.
  4. ^ Papadopoulos, Madina (3 February 2016). "A Short History of King Cake's Long History". pastemagazine.com. Retrieved 23 August 2017.
  5. ^ @NatGeoFrance (5 January 2022). "Épiphanie : d'où vient la tradition de la galette des rois ?". National Geographic (in French). Retrieved 9 February 2023.
  6. ^ "Tout savoir sur la galette des rois - Edélices". www.edelices.com. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
  7. ^ Margaret Hasluck, "The Basil-Cake of the Greek New Year", Folklore 38:2:143 (June 30, 1927) JSTOR 1256522
  8. ^ "L'histoire de la galette des rois et de la fève". L'Express (in French). 6 January 2015. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
  9. ^ "So Who Were the Magi—AKA the Three Kings—Who Visited Jesus?". The Daily Beast.
  10. ^ Fieldhouse, Paul (2017). Food, Feasts and Faith: An Encyclopedia of Food Culture in World Religions. Bloomsbury.
  11. ^ Blasi, Carol (2019). "Land Tenure in Acadian Agricultural Settlements, 1604-1755: Cultural Retention and the Emergence of Custom". ELECTRONIC THESES AND DISSERTATIONS: University of Maine: 100.
  12. ^ "The King of Cakes at Mardi Gras". Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved 10 September 2024.
  13. ^ "I Bake This Delicious King Cake Every Year for Mardi Gras". Kitchn. Retrieved 10 September 2024.
  14. ^ Moskin, Julia (29 January 2013). "A City Drenched in Sugar". The New York Times.
  15. ^ Nadine Cretin, historian of festivals specializing in religious anthropology in [http://www.lexpress.fr/styles/saveurs/histoire-de-la-galette-des-rois-et-de-la-feve_1637819.html History of the King Cake and the Bean], L'Express, 6 January 2015.
  16. ^ Paul Lacroix, The Middle Ages and the Renaissance: history and description of customs and practices, commerce and industry, sciences, arts, literature and fine arts in Europe, t. 1, Paris, [s.n.], 1848.
  17. ^ Armand Lebault, The Table and the Meal through the Centuries: history of food, of the furniture used for meals, of ceremonial and table entertainments among ancient peoples and the French. Preceded by a study on primitive gastronomic customs and on the role of the meal in civilization, Paris, Lucien Laveur, 718nb p. p. 301.
  18. ^ Giacomo Margotti, Hubert Joseph Maréchal, Rome and London, Paris; Tournai, Henri Casterman, 1859, 544nb p. , p. 538.
  19. ^ Alexandre Mazas, Lives of the Great French Captains of the Middle Ages: Louis II, t. 4, Paris, Jacques Lecoffre, 1845, p. 36.
  20. ^ History of the Private Life of the French from the Origin of the Nation to the Present Day, Paris, Simonet, 1815, p. 281.
  21. ^ Jean-Baptiste-Bonaventure de Roquefort, Glossary of the Romance Language, t. 2, Paris, B. Warée, 1808, p. 639.
  22. ^ Alexandre de La Fons de Mélicocq, A Picard City in the Middle Ages: Noyon and the Noyonnais, Noyon, Soulas-Amoudry, 1841, p. 269.
  23. ^ Constantin Mazeret, C. V. Monin, Descriptive, Historical, Anecdotal Panorama of the Banks of the Seine from Paris to Montereau, Paris, H.-L. Delloye, 1836, p. 237.
  24. ^ Antoine Goze, History of the Streets of Amiens, Amiens, Alfred Caron, 1854, p. 140.
  25. ^ Edmond and Jules de Goncourt, Histoire de la société française pendant la Révolution, Éditions du Boucher, 2002, 360nb p. , p. 220.
  26. ^ Jean Leflon, La Crise révolutionnaire 1789-1846, Bloud & Gay, 1949, 524nb p. , p. 111.
  27. ^ Philippe Rouillard, Les Fêtes chrétiennes en Occident, Paris, Cerf, 2003, 347nb p. , ISBN 978-2-20407-106-2, p. 32.
  28. ^ Philippe Buchez, Pierre-Célestin Roux-Lavergne, Histoire parlementaire de la Révolution française ou Journal des assemblées nationales depuis 1789 jusqu’en 1815 : la narration des événements ; les débats des assemblées ; les discussions des principales sociétés populaires, et particulièrement de la société des Jacobins ; les procès-verbaux de la Commune de Paris ; les séances du tribunal révolutionnaire ; le compte-rendu des principaux procès politiques ; le détail des budgets annuels ; le tableau du mouvement moral extrait des journaux de chaque époque, etc. ; précédée d’une introduction sur l’histoire de France jusqu’à la convocation des États-Généraux, Paris, Paulin, 1834-1838, p. 362.
  29. ^ Franck Jouve, Michèle Jouve, Made in France, Périgueux, Chronique, 2013, 160nb p. , ISBN 978-2-20506-052-2.
  30. ^ Philippe Rouillard, op. cit.
  31. ^ Christine Armengaud, Le Diable sucré, Paris, La Martinière, 2000, 167nb p. , ISBN 978-2-73242-498-9, p. 144.
  32. ^ "The galette des rois, a very French tradition". Consulat général de France à Toronto.
  33. ^ Mould, Michael (2011). The Routledge Dictionary of Cultural References in Modern French. Routledge. p. 17.
  34. ^ Le carnaval des familles
  35. ^ Philippe, Didier (2003). Petit lexique des fêtes religieuses et laïques. Paris: Albin Michel. p. 42. ISBN 978-2-22613-631-2.
  36. ^ a b Alan Davidson, ed., The Oxford Companion to Food, 1st ed., ISBN 0192115790, s.v. 'Twelfth Night cake', p. 814
  37. ^ A Portuguese Christmas Retrieved 12 August 2013
  38. ^ Bolo-Rei: The King of Portuguese Christmas Cakes Retrieved 12 August 2013
  39. ^ The Battle for Lisbon’s best pastry Archived 2014-11-14 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 12 August 2013
  40. ^ A Foodie’s Guide to Christmas in Europe Retrieved 12 August 2013
  41. ^ Bolo Rei Portuguese Kings Cake – A treat for your Christmas table recipe Retrieved 12 August 2013
  42. ^ "Rosca de Reyes Recipe (Kings Day Bread)". My Latina Table. 4 January 2019. Retrieved 9 January 2020.
  43. ^ Virginia Nylander Ebinger Aguinaldos: Christmas customs, music, and foods of the Spanish-speaking countries of the Americas Sunstone Press, 2008 ISBN 978-0-86534-689-5, page 234.
  44. ^ a b Beth Hensperger Beth Hensperger's bread made easy: a baker's first bread book Ten Speed Press, 2000 ISBN 978-1-58008-112-2, page 84
  45. ^ Vegetarian Times. Active Interest Media, Inc. November 1990.
  46. ^ . The name Candlemas is derived from the use of candles on liturgical observances, representing the light of Christ presented to the world (John 1:9).
  47. ^ "Happy Candlemas! ¡Feliz Día de la Candelaria!". CancunSafe. NeuMedia. Archived from the original on 8 January 2023. Retrieved 2 March 2011.
  48. ^ Oxford English Dictionary, 1st edition, 1916, s.v.
  49. ^ Macclain, Alexia (4 January 2013). "Twelfth Night Traditions: A Cake, a Bean, and a King -". Smithsonian Libraries. Retrieved 10 January 2018. According to the 1923 Dennison's Christmas Book, "there should be a King and a Queen, chosen by cutting a cake". The Twelfth Night Cake has a bean and a pea baked into it. The man who finds the bean in his slice of cake becomes King for the night while the woman who finds a pea in her slice of cake becomes Queen for the night.
  50. ^ Lawrence, Anne (9 December 2016). "Christmas 2016: Twelfth Cake". Reading History. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
  51. ^ Dobson, Michael (15 March 2016). "Festivity, dressing up and misrule in Twelfth Night". British Library. Archived from the original on 20 December 2022. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
  52. ^ Diary of Samuel Pepys
  53. ^ Baldock, James (26 December 2016). "Sea swimming, wassailing and minced lamb – 11 fun things you can do between Boxing Day and Twelfth Night". Metro. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
  54. ^ Ewbank, Anne (5 January 2019). "How £100 Bought an Obscure British Actor 224 Years of Cake and Fame". Gastro Obscura. Atlas Obscura. Retrieved 5 January 2019.
  55. ^ a b Layla Eplett (4 March 2014). "Three Men and a Baby: A Brief History of King Cakes". Scientific American, Blog Network.
  56. ^ "How to Celebrate Twelfth Night in New Orleans". 2 January 2017. Retrieved 7 January 2017.
  57. ^ Byrn, Anne (2016). American Cake: From colonial gingerbread to classic layer, the stories and recipes behind more than 125 of our best-loved cakes. Rodale. p. 18. ISBN 9781623365431. OCLC 934884678.
  58. ^ "Randazzo's Camellia City Bakery". Archived from the original on 7 May 2014. Retrieved 27 February 2017.
  59. ^ a b Stanonis, Anthony J.; Wallace, Rachel (2018). "Tasting New Orleans: How the Mardi Gras King Cake Came to Represent the Crescent City". Southern Cultures. 24 (4): 6–23. doi:10.1353/scu.2018.0043. S2CID 150226732.
  60. ^ Gladys L. Knight (2014). Pop Culture Places: An Encyclopedia of Places in American Popular Culture. Bloomsbury Academic. p. 568. ISBN 978-0313398827.
  61. ^ "History". King Cake.
  62. ^ "History of King Cakes". New Orleans Showcase.
  63. ^ Gaudet, Marcia (2003). "The New Orleans King Cake in Southwest Louisiana". In Gaudet, Marcia; McDonald, James C. (eds.). Mardi Gras, Gumbo, and Zydeco: Readings in Louisiana Culture. Jackson, MS: University Press of Mississippi. pp. 48–57. ISBN 1-57806-529-1.
  64. ^ "How King Cake Became Carnival Royalty in New Orleans". Epicurious. 19 December 2022.
  65. ^ Johnson, Richard (18 February 2017). "What is that terrifying NBA All-Star mascot in New Orleans this weekend?". SBNation.com. Retrieved 11 January 2021.

Bibliography

[edit]
  • 1991. Tradiciones Mexicanas. Pg 22, 31. Mexico, D.F., Ed. Diana S.A. de C.V., ISBN 968-13-2203-7
  • 1998. Fiestas de México. Pg. 76, Mexico, D.F., Panorama Editorial S.A. de C.V, ISBN 968-38-0048-3
  • Christmas Trivia edited by Jennie Miller Helderman, Mary Caulkins. Gramercy, 2002
  • Marix-Evans, Martin. The Twelve Days of Christmas. Peter Pauper Press, 2002
  • Bowler, Gerry. The World Encyclopedia of Christmas. McClelland & Stewart, 2004
  • Collins, Ace. Stories Behind the Great Traditions of Christmas. Zondervan, 2003
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Rosca de Reyes.

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=King_cake&oldid=1314895666"