While many cities are suffering from the economic downturn, and thus a drop in tourism, New Orleans is still a special case.
Although the French Quarter is in good shape, a drive through the rest of the city, from the Ninth Ward to the nicer suburbs, will show even the casual visitor that life post-Katrina is still a long way from normal. (For example, in Lakeview, an upper-middle class neighborhood that sustained heavy flooding, rebuilt homes sit side by side with empty lots, and still some abandoned properties)
One way to help New Orleans is to be a tourist and spend money. But for those who can’t visit, there’s an easy way to enjoy the flavor of Mardi Gras, and put money into local businesses. It’s called a King Cake.
For anyone who’s been to New Orleans in the weeks preceding Mardi Gras, a King Cake needs no introduction. It’s a rich yeast coffee cake, formed into an oval, with purple, green and yellow icing. Traditionally they are sold from Twelfth Night – January 6 – through Mardi Gras, which in 2009 is February 24. Some are filled with fruit, praline, and/or cream cheese as well. There are even sugar-free cakes.
And then there’s a baby inside. Well, a plastic baby. A tiny plastic baby.
Some say it represents the baby Jesus. (Yeah, the lawyers and the P.C. police haven’t gotten to this tradition yet.) The point of the baby is that whoever finds it, with luck not by chipping a tooth, buys the next King Cake. Which means in most homes and offices, a steady supply of sugary calories.
But you don’t need to be in New Orleans to share in the experience. While many local bakeries have long shipped King Cakes to homesick folks who have moved out-of-town, the Internet has made the process simple.
For in the neighborhood of $40 to $50, a King Cake, usually along with a few Mardi Gras beads and other items, can be overnighted anywhere in the U.S.
If this sounds appealing, and let me tell you, a good King Cake is worth a the considerable extra time it takes in the gym to work it off, several bakeries offer different sizes and flavors on their websites. Three recommended by my New Orleans friends are Haydel’s
Randazzo’s and Frances’ Bakery.
While King Cakes may not be great for your waistline, you can offset any guilt by feeling good about helping a local New Orleans business. And one good thing about ordering from out of town. As much fun as it might be to continue the local tradition, you can’t be tempted just to run down to the store to pick up a second one — whether you find the baby or not.
Janice Hough is a California-based travel agent a travel blogger and a part-time comedy writer. A frequent flier herself, she’s been doing battle with airlines, hotels, and other travel companies for over three decades. Besides writing for Travelers United, Janice has a humor blog at Leftcoastsportsbabe.com (Warning, the political and sports humor therein does not represent the views of anyone but herself.)
