Kings's Cake
This post is definitely a little delayed in the season as most bakeries have stopped selling King's Cake.
Wikipedia defines King's Cake as -
"A king cake (sometimes rendered as kingcake or kings' cake) is a type of cake associated with the festival of Epiphany in the Christmas season in a number of countries, and in other places with Mardi Gras and Carnival. It is popular in Christmas season in France, Belgium and Switzerland (galette/gâteau des Rois), Portugal (Bolo Rei), Spain (Roscón de Reyes and in Catalonia called tortell), Greece and Cyprus (vasilopita) and Bulgaria (banitsa). In the United States, which celebrates Carnival ranging from Pensacola, Florida to East Texas, centered on New Orleans it is associated instead with Mardi Gras season traditions.
The cakes have a small trinket (often a small plastic baby, sometimes said to represent Baby Jesus) inside, and the person who gets the piece of cake with the trinket has various privileges and obligations."
The "La galette de rois" has frangipane (almond paste) and is light and fluffy and has many layers. We sampled several and found the original bakery in Paris had the best tasting. Inside the king's cake they hide a small plastic figurine called the "la feve". Whoever finds the figurine is king or queen for the day. When you buy one at the store it comes with a paper gold crown that you wear around. Also, if you find the figurine, you have to buy the next King's cake.
Silly traditions. Once again something religious turned into just a good time for us.
On our winter vacation we spotted them in Paris at a small bakery where we bought our baguettes and had some sandwiches. Here is a photographic tale of the adventure -
Posts
2 comments:
Hi,
I am new here... My husband and I are thinking about the possibility to live/move in/to Switzerland and I that is why I found your blog.
We are Brazilians, living in Canada since 2000 and my husband has an Italian passport (family background).
BTW... this king's cake looks great!
Cheers
Hi Mirella - Thanks for visiting! Geneva is a very multinational city. Do you live in Quebec and speak French? It would be very helpful here! Most of the German speaking parts you can find people easyily who speak English.
Post a Comment