1 00:00:06,960 --> 00:00:09,280 Speaker 1: Hello, and welcome to Savor. I'm an Aries and I'm 2 00:00:09,360 --> 00:00:14,000 Speaker 1: Lauren Vogelbaum. And today we're talking about Kingcake and Marty Gras, 3 00:00:14,280 --> 00:00:18,480 Speaker 1: most specifically in New Orleans because we were just there 4 00:00:19,079 --> 00:00:23,360 Speaker 1: and Carnival season is underway as we record. This hard 5 00:00:23,400 --> 00:00:25,560 Speaker 1: to say when you're listening to it. Yeah, it could 6 00:00:25,600 --> 00:00:28,680 Speaker 1: be any time. You could be a time traveler if 7 00:00:28,680 --> 00:00:32,000 Speaker 1: you are pleased right in Oh absolutely anyway, Yes, Carnival 8 00:00:32,040 --> 00:00:35,680 Speaker 1: season is the season in some christian Ish traditions between 9 00:00:35,800 --> 00:00:39,239 Speaker 1: Christmas and Lent. In New Orleans, you can also call 10 00:00:39,360 --> 00:00:42,479 Speaker 1: the whole season Marty Grass season, although the term does 11 00:00:42,520 --> 00:00:46,239 Speaker 1: specifically apply to a single day, and this year, the 12 00:00:46,280 --> 00:00:49,360 Speaker 1: actual day of Marty Gras or Fat Tuesday, is taking 13 00:00:49,400 --> 00:00:53,880 Speaker 1: place on March five, and this year is because again 14 00:00:54,400 --> 00:00:58,160 Speaker 1: we don't know. I've never been to any Marty Grass 15 00:00:58,200 --> 00:01:00,360 Speaker 1: celebrations in New Orleans, but I have done a few 16 00:01:00,400 --> 00:01:05,039 Speaker 1: in Atlanta, which, yes, I imagine are not the same 17 00:01:05,280 --> 00:01:08,319 Speaker 1: probably not no, no, no, no no, But this is 18 00:01:08,319 --> 00:01:10,640 Speaker 1: one of the things we heard about that surprised me 19 00:01:11,120 --> 00:01:14,560 Speaker 1: the most, what Marty Gras is really like in New Orleans. 20 00:01:14,640 --> 00:01:19,200 Speaker 1: Because yeah, I think we super producer Dylan and Lauren 21 00:01:19,680 --> 00:01:23,279 Speaker 1: and I had a very particular idea of what Marty 22 00:01:23,319 --> 00:01:26,240 Speaker 1: Gras is. We spoke about it in studio when we 23 00:01:26,280 --> 00:01:31,040 Speaker 1: got back from our trip. Is another thing we learned 24 00:01:31,080 --> 00:01:33,440 Speaker 1: about a lot of Marty Graw traditions I didn't know about. 25 00:01:33,959 --> 00:01:37,560 Speaker 1: But yeah, yeah, because I think for a lot of us, 26 00:01:37,600 --> 00:01:40,200 Speaker 1: when we think of Marty Gras, we think of drunk 27 00:01:40,200 --> 00:01:43,880 Speaker 1: people trying to get beads. Yeah, yeah, like like adults 28 00:01:44,319 --> 00:01:47,560 Speaker 1: that are there to be drunk, and like sea boobs 29 00:01:47,960 --> 00:01:54,600 Speaker 1: and um uh you know cause havock. It can be 30 00:01:54,800 --> 00:01:57,960 Speaker 1: that or that can be part of it. New Orleans 31 00:01:58,040 --> 00:02:02,360 Speaker 1: perceives an annual one point four million visitors during Martocross season. 32 00:02:02,600 --> 00:02:06,320 Speaker 1: There are parades and celebrations throughout, culminating in this final 33 00:02:06,480 --> 00:02:09,920 Speaker 1: massive party of food and drinking, music and dancing the streets. 34 00:02:10,440 --> 00:02:13,360 Speaker 1: Over fifty parades take place over the course of carnival, 35 00:02:13,720 --> 00:02:17,400 Speaker 1: organized by the famous crews like Endemion, Zulu and Bacchus 36 00:02:17,760 --> 00:02:23,720 Speaker 1: and newer ones like Chewbaccus Love It. There's huge, elaborate floats, 37 00:02:23,880 --> 00:02:27,560 Speaker 1: often presided over by the crews elected royalty these days, 38 00:02:27,560 --> 00:02:30,480 Speaker 1: and honor undertaken often by celebrities from Spike Lee to 39 00:02:30,520 --> 00:02:34,919 Speaker 1: Will Ferrell equally elaborate, often handmade in hand designed costumes 40 00:02:34,919 --> 00:02:39,200 Speaker 1: and throws. Throws being the handouts from the ubiquitous plastic 41 00:02:39,240 --> 00:02:43,480 Speaker 1: beads and dubloons and cups, too, painted coconuts, decorated shoes, 42 00:02:43,520 --> 00:02:48,040 Speaker 1: decorated shrimp boots, purses and sunglasses, and bejeweled toilet brushes, 43 00:02:48,400 --> 00:02:52,320 Speaker 1: all tossed or handed for safety reasons to these spectators 44 00:02:52,360 --> 00:02:56,960 Speaker 1: who can catch a cruise attention. So many questions about 45 00:02:57,040 --> 00:03:02,320 Speaker 1: decorated shrimp boots, but must forwarde ahead. Chris Horner, general 46 00:03:02,360 --> 00:03:04,640 Speaker 1: manager over at the Bombay Club and the French Quarter, 47 00:03:04,720 --> 00:03:08,480 Speaker 1: described the crowds and the chaos. I've seen some so 48 00:03:08,560 --> 00:03:13,040 Speaker 1: many crazy things, you know, it's um uh Marty Gras, 49 00:03:13,400 --> 00:03:17,120 Speaker 1: I worked and I worked on in restaurants on Bourbon 50 00:03:17,200 --> 00:03:20,880 Speaker 1: Street and U the mass of the people, you know, 51 00:03:20,880 --> 00:03:23,720 Speaker 1: when they're just just you can't walk down the street, 52 00:03:24,639 --> 00:03:26,839 Speaker 1: you have it. It's difficult to walk down street because 53 00:03:26,840 --> 00:03:30,240 Speaker 1: there's so many beads on the street. It's it's amazing. 54 00:03:30,400 --> 00:03:35,880 Speaker 1: It's just uh. I that the crowd gets on Bourbon 55 00:03:35,960 --> 00:03:39,000 Speaker 1: Street during during Marty Brod just that's amazed me. But 56 00:03:39,360 --> 00:03:42,440 Speaker 1: even more amazing is getting up early and watching them 57 00:03:42,440 --> 00:03:46,000 Speaker 1: cleaning up it is, oh my gosh, how they do this, 58 00:03:46,120 --> 00:03:49,160 Speaker 1: But they do it. They do it. The plastic beads 59 00:03:49,200 --> 00:03:54,920 Speaker 1: alone caused quite the problem. It's a serious problem. How 60 00:03:54,960 --> 00:03:57,000 Speaker 1: Stuff works did an article on it that I turned 61 00:03:57,040 --> 00:03:59,920 Speaker 1: into a Brainstuff episode to give you a sense of scale. 62 00:04:00,120 --> 00:04:06,000 Speaker 1: From September seventeen through January, cleaning crews flushed nine three 63 00:04:06,120 --> 00:04:10,120 Speaker 1: thousand pounds of beads alone out of storm drains along 64 00:04:10,120 --> 00:04:14,440 Speaker 1: a five block stretch of St. Charles Avenue downtown. That's 65 00:04:14,440 --> 00:04:20,080 Speaker 1: about and over forty six tons. To translate that into 66 00:04:20,160 --> 00:04:23,320 Speaker 1: beluga whales, because that's clearly a unit of scale that 67 00:04:23,360 --> 00:04:25,400 Speaker 1: we should use more often, that's about thirty one beluga 68 00:04:25,400 --> 00:04:28,040 Speaker 1: whales worth of beads. That's how I measure most things. 69 00:04:29,360 --> 00:04:33,560 Speaker 1: It's like always, you know, very very small number of 70 00:04:33,560 --> 00:04:37,159 Speaker 1: a beluga whales. Generally I don't deal in that large 71 00:04:37,320 --> 00:04:40,440 Speaker 1: of quantities me neither. This is a lot of beads, 72 00:04:40,600 --> 00:04:44,919 Speaker 1: is what we're saying. Yes, but there are efforts in 73 00:04:44,960 --> 00:04:48,000 Speaker 1: place to ease the clean up. None of them involve 74 00:04:48,200 --> 00:04:53,040 Speaker 1: scaling down the party. However, But while Mardi Gras certainly 75 00:04:53,160 --> 00:04:56,359 Speaker 1: can be a wild party, our interviewees told us a 76 00:04:56,400 --> 00:04:59,159 Speaker 1: different side of the story. They described it as a 77 00:04:59,200 --> 00:05:03,000 Speaker 1: family event, one celebrated among neighbors, like people make pots 78 00:05:03,080 --> 00:05:05,720 Speaker 1: gumbo large enough for sharing and leave their doors open 79 00:05:05,800 --> 00:05:08,200 Speaker 1: so that friends and family and you know, maybe passers 80 00:05:08,200 --> 00:05:11,719 Speaker 1: by and just drop on in the celebrations are woven 81 00:05:11,839 --> 00:05:14,799 Speaker 1: into the community. Think about it. This is a month 82 00:05:14,880 --> 00:05:18,800 Speaker 1: long celebration that really doesn't exist anywhere else in the 83 00:05:18,880 --> 00:05:22,760 Speaker 1: United States. New Orleanans call it the greatest free show 84 00:05:22,839 --> 00:05:25,640 Speaker 1: on earth for people who grow up there. You take 85 00:05:25,640 --> 00:05:28,640 Speaker 1: part in these celebrations, watching the parades from ladders, seeing 86 00:05:28,640 --> 00:05:31,279 Speaker 1: the elaborate costumes, hearing the music. Maybe marching in a 87 00:05:31,279 --> 00:05:33,560 Speaker 1: parade is part of a high school marching band, are 88 00:05:33,600 --> 00:05:37,320 Speaker 1: helping construct a float, and of course eating the food. 89 00:05:38,120 --> 00:05:41,880 Speaker 1: Oh that ladder thing. Um, we didn't get it on tape, unfortunately, 90 00:05:42,040 --> 00:05:45,159 Speaker 1: but when we were talking after our interview with Dicky 91 00:05:45,200 --> 00:05:48,760 Speaker 1: Brennan to uh to Dickey and uh Wesley Jansen, who 92 00:05:48,839 --> 00:05:52,159 Speaker 1: put us in touch with him for the Brennan Company, Yeah, 93 00:05:52,160 --> 00:05:55,880 Speaker 1: they were saying that they frequently there's so little space 94 00:05:55,920 --> 00:05:58,159 Speaker 1: on the streets that the real locals will bring a 95 00:05:58,240 --> 00:06:01,200 Speaker 1: folding ladder, like a tall, old folding ladder and like 96 00:06:02,200 --> 00:06:05,680 Speaker 1: duct tape a chair to the top of it. Yeah, essentially, 97 00:06:05,800 --> 00:06:08,720 Speaker 1: and then send you know whoever feels like that's the 98 00:06:08,800 --> 00:06:12,200 Speaker 1: least precarious up to watch the parade from there. It's 99 00:06:12,240 --> 00:06:15,880 Speaker 1: so fantastic. I love it. Huh. We also spoke with 100 00:06:15,960 --> 00:06:19,040 Speaker 1: a music historian at the Historic New Orleans Collection, one 101 00:06:19,200 --> 00:06:23,200 Speaker 1: Eric sid Firth, who described the electricity and the scents 102 00:06:23,400 --> 00:06:26,560 Speaker 1: in the air during mardy Gras and related celebrations. The 103 00:06:26,600 --> 00:06:30,240 Speaker 1: food is great. You can smell it from from afar. 104 00:06:30,360 --> 00:06:34,479 Speaker 1: You get a lot of barbecue. Not what kind of barbecue, 105 00:06:34,480 --> 00:06:37,360 Speaker 1: I don't know, it's it's we're talking about big grills 106 00:06:37,760 --> 00:06:41,840 Speaker 1: where you can get all kinds of grilled chicken, hot sausage, 107 00:06:41,880 --> 00:06:45,839 Speaker 1: smoke sausage, pork chops. I love the You can get 108 00:06:45,880 --> 00:06:48,880 Speaker 1: just a pork chop, barbecue pork chop on a two 109 00:06:48,920 --> 00:06:51,359 Speaker 1: between two pieces of white bread with the bone in it, 110 00:06:51,480 --> 00:06:55,599 Speaker 1: and it's just delicious. This past year, in going downtown 111 00:06:55,680 --> 00:06:59,760 Speaker 1: from Mardy Gras, we were driving on the on I 112 00:07:00,160 --> 00:07:05,559 Speaker 1: en above Clayborne and at Clayborne in Orleans. UM, there's 113 00:07:05,560 --> 00:07:10,240 Speaker 1: a big Marty Grass celebration every year and this you 114 00:07:10,280 --> 00:07:12,560 Speaker 1: know you you do this at like eight in the morning, right, 115 00:07:12,600 --> 00:07:16,240 Speaker 1: you gotta start early for Marty Gras on Marty grad Day, 116 00:07:16,360 --> 00:07:19,640 Speaker 1: and um, you just smell it. You could smell all 117 00:07:19,680 --> 00:07:22,640 Speaker 1: the grills going and all the food getting ready at 118 00:07:22,640 --> 00:07:24,840 Speaker 1: like eight in the morning, and it's really a part 119 00:07:24,880 --> 00:07:28,680 Speaker 1: of the you know, it's exciting. We also spoke to 120 00:07:28,760 --> 00:07:32,920 Speaker 1: Ashley McMillan about her childhood memories. She's the executive pastry 121 00:07:32,960 --> 00:07:35,720 Speaker 1: chef at Super New Orleans, a dessert bo Cheek specializing 122 00:07:35,720 --> 00:07:38,520 Speaker 1: in macaron chocolate and this time of year at Marty 123 00:07:38,560 --> 00:07:42,240 Speaker 1: gra dessert known as kincake. We always went to parades, 124 00:07:42,320 --> 00:07:44,920 Speaker 1: we always had Popeye's chicken and a kincake, and that's 125 00:07:44,960 --> 00:07:46,800 Speaker 1: just what it's been. So I'm not really sure where 126 00:07:46,840 --> 00:07:49,840 Speaker 1: the history of that. I think it's a glutinous thing 127 00:07:49,840 --> 00:07:53,440 Speaker 1: to do with lint too. I've heard the Popeyes is 128 00:07:53,480 --> 00:07:59,119 Speaker 1: a popular choice. Yeah, yeah, I've never been, but um, 129 00:07:59,160 --> 00:08:03,080 Speaker 1: it's perhaps popular over there than it is over here. Perhaps. 130 00:08:03,680 --> 00:08:07,640 Speaker 1: But all of this is really just dancing around our question, 131 00:08:08,920 --> 00:08:17,600 Speaker 1: Marty Groan, kincake, what are they? Well, one thing at 132 00:08:17,600 --> 00:08:21,600 Speaker 1: a time. Marty Gras or Carnival season has its basis 133 00:08:21,640 --> 00:08:24,760 Speaker 1: in Christian holidays. It starts on the holiday of the 134 00:08:24,760 --> 00:08:28,720 Speaker 1: Epiphany also called Three Kings Day, also called Twelfth Night um. 135 00:08:28,840 --> 00:08:31,320 Speaker 1: Like you know the twelve Days of Christmas, this holiday 136 00:08:31,400 --> 00:08:34,679 Speaker 1: is the Twelfth Night and it falls on at January six. 137 00:08:35,200 --> 00:08:38,640 Speaker 1: The carnival season ends with the actual day of Marty Gras, 138 00:08:38,679 --> 00:08:42,199 Speaker 1: also called Fat Tuesday or Shrove Tuesday. And this is 139 00:08:42,240 --> 00:08:44,719 Speaker 1: not a it's not a specific calendar date. It's it's 140 00:08:44,720 --> 00:08:47,600 Speaker 1: the day before ash Wednesday, which is the first day 141 00:08:47,600 --> 00:08:49,520 Speaker 1: of Lent, which is the forty days leading up to 142 00:08:49,559 --> 00:08:52,040 Speaker 1: the week before Easter. And since the date of Easter 143 00:08:52,120 --> 00:08:55,080 Speaker 1: every year is determined by a lunas solar calendar um, 144 00:08:55,120 --> 00:08:57,920 Speaker 1: it's the first Sunday after the full moon after the equinox. 145 00:08:58,480 --> 00:09:01,600 Speaker 1: Marty gra itself can be any time between February three 146 00:09:01,800 --> 00:09:06,640 Speaker 1: and March nine. During this season, you're allowed to even 147 00:09:06,720 --> 00:09:10,680 Speaker 1: supposed to live it up, break the rules and throughout, 148 00:09:10,760 --> 00:09:13,480 Speaker 1: but especially on Fat Tuesday, you're supposed to use up 149 00:09:13,679 --> 00:09:16,480 Speaker 1: rich ingredients like fats and sugars that you're expected to 150 00:09:16,480 --> 00:09:20,800 Speaker 1: refrain from during the solemn season of Lent in that vein. 151 00:09:21,040 --> 00:09:23,400 Speaker 1: The kincake is a seasonal treat in honor of the 152 00:09:23,400 --> 00:09:26,960 Speaker 1: Three Kings or Magi or wiseman said to have visited 153 00:09:26,960 --> 00:09:30,240 Speaker 1: the baby Jesus when he was born, which is why 154 00:09:30,360 --> 00:09:32,960 Speaker 1: kincakes are in the shape of a crown or a 155 00:09:33,280 --> 00:09:37,360 Speaker 1: more or less circular band anyway. Uh Kincakes in the 156 00:09:37,400 --> 00:09:40,600 Speaker 1: New Orleans sense are a pastry typically made with a 157 00:09:40,679 --> 00:09:45,320 Speaker 1: thick twists or braids of yeast raised Danish style dough um, 158 00:09:45,400 --> 00:09:49,440 Speaker 1: though either flakier or fluffier dough is sometimes used. They're 159 00:09:49,559 --> 00:09:53,880 Speaker 1: typically iced with three symbolic colors, purple for justice, green 160 00:09:53,960 --> 00:09:57,240 Speaker 1: for faith, and gold for power. The cake can be 161 00:09:57,360 --> 00:10:00,320 Speaker 1: plain or filled between the layers of dough with sorts 162 00:10:00,320 --> 00:10:02,640 Speaker 1: of things. Cinnamon and sugar is a little bit more traditional, 163 00:10:02,840 --> 00:10:06,280 Speaker 1: but then sweetened cream, cheese, jellies, and chopped sugar pecans 164 00:10:06,320 --> 00:10:10,320 Speaker 1: are all also common. Once baked, a wee little plastic 165 00:10:10,320 --> 00:10:14,640 Speaker 1: baby charm is typically placed somewhere inside the cake. Um 166 00:10:14,720 --> 00:10:18,199 Speaker 1: these days, other tokens like coins or peas or pecans 167 00:10:18,320 --> 00:10:21,000 Speaker 1: or beans were what was up in the past and 168 00:10:21,200 --> 00:10:25,080 Speaker 1: may still show up. Tradition holes that the plastic baby 169 00:10:25,080 --> 00:10:27,720 Speaker 1: in the cake represents Jesus, and just like Jesus showed 170 00:10:27,760 --> 00:10:30,480 Speaker 1: himself to the three wise man, he will show himself 171 00:10:30,640 --> 00:10:33,120 Speaker 1: to those enjoying the King cake. Side note, I have 172 00:10:33,360 --> 00:10:38,040 Speaker 1: never found the King the baby. I can't now, I 173 00:10:38,040 --> 00:10:40,040 Speaker 1: can't remember. If I have, I feel like you'd remember. 174 00:10:40,080 --> 00:10:42,760 Speaker 1: It's pretty exciting. Well I would imagine it is, because 175 00:10:42,760 --> 00:10:47,560 Speaker 1: it's never happened to me. But whoever does find the 176 00:10:47,559 --> 00:10:51,320 Speaker 1: baby in their slices crowned king for a day and 177 00:10:51,520 --> 00:10:54,120 Speaker 1: or host the Mardi Grass celebration, or at least buys 178 00:10:54,120 --> 00:10:56,760 Speaker 1: the cake the next year, it's a it's a lucky token. 179 00:10:57,120 --> 00:10:59,360 Speaker 1: So yeah, the result of all of this is part 180 00:10:59,400 --> 00:11:02,840 Speaker 1: dessert or breakfast I'm not judging, and part party game. 181 00:11:03,520 --> 00:11:05,560 Speaker 1: And it's I mean, it's a giant Danish right like. 182 00:11:05,600 --> 00:11:07,880 Speaker 1: It's tender and dense and a little bit flaky, and 183 00:11:08,080 --> 00:11:10,760 Speaker 1: depending on the icing and fillings it can get pretty sweet. 184 00:11:11,920 --> 00:11:16,920 Speaker 1: And kincakes are a bit finicky to make. I attempted 185 00:11:16,920 --> 00:11:19,959 Speaker 1: to make one once. It was fine. It was fine. 186 00:11:20,000 --> 00:11:25,319 Speaker 1: Oh yeast bread's man, oh ye spreads. Indeed, I generally 187 00:11:25,360 --> 00:11:29,080 Speaker 1: just buy mine now, as do most Americans, and no 188 00:11:29,200 --> 00:11:32,480 Speaker 1: sponsorship happening here, but I do usually get it from Supra. 189 00:11:33,480 --> 00:11:36,080 Speaker 1: Ashley spoke to us about supras process when it comes 190 00:11:36,120 --> 00:11:40,640 Speaker 1: to these pastries. Whenever you do kincake dough. It's very technical. 191 00:11:40,760 --> 00:11:43,680 Speaker 1: If you overproof it then it falls, If you underproof it, 192 00:11:43,720 --> 00:11:46,800 Speaker 1: it's raw. It's just a technical aspect of just making 193 00:11:46,800 --> 00:11:49,120 Speaker 1: sure we're going up to every single person checking what 194 00:11:49,160 --> 00:11:52,840 Speaker 1: they're doing, sizing it upright. Uh. Sometimes joke, I'm in 195 00:11:52,840 --> 00:11:54,960 Speaker 1: the kitchen and it's ninety five degrees because we turned 196 00:11:55,000 --> 00:11:57,079 Speaker 1: the entire building into a proof box so that way 197 00:11:57,080 --> 00:11:59,040 Speaker 1: the kincakes will proof long enough for us to get 198 00:11:59,080 --> 00:12:01,959 Speaker 1: him into the into the ovens. We have a man 199 00:12:02,000 --> 00:12:04,400 Speaker 1: that's been with us for about five years. His name 200 00:12:04,480 --> 00:12:07,439 Speaker 1: is Home and he helps with everything with baking. He 201 00:12:07,520 --> 00:12:09,560 Speaker 1: knows wind to bake, a wind to proof, wind pull, 202 00:12:10,000 --> 00:12:12,160 Speaker 1: I mean, just a great thing. We hire help to 203 00:12:12,200 --> 00:12:14,679 Speaker 1: come in. We do eight different people sometimes that will 204 00:12:14,720 --> 00:12:18,000 Speaker 1: come in shape proof, fake, garnish. We have eight people 205 00:12:18,040 --> 00:12:20,960 Speaker 1: that just garnished, so all they're doing is glazing kincakes, 206 00:12:20,960 --> 00:12:22,920 Speaker 1: waiting four hours for the glaze of dry and then 207 00:12:22,920 --> 00:12:26,200 Speaker 1: spraying them in gold lusters and all sorts of different colors. 208 00:12:26,360 --> 00:12:28,040 Speaker 1: And then we have a whole packaging area. I mean, 209 00:12:28,080 --> 00:12:30,600 Speaker 1: if you come in here during that season, you will 210 00:12:30,640 --> 00:12:35,240 Speaker 1: be like what, it's just everywhere. Everything is everywhere, and 211 00:12:35,360 --> 00:12:38,000 Speaker 1: during that time, we don't set back any production with 212 00:12:38,040 --> 00:12:40,559 Speaker 1: what we currently do. We make sure that chocolate room 213 00:12:40,640 --> 00:12:43,079 Speaker 1: stays at the temperature needs to stay at some nothing blues, 214 00:12:43,320 --> 00:12:47,360 Speaker 1: but everything else is hot as hot can be. Despite 215 00:12:47,480 --> 00:12:51,400 Speaker 1: the difficulty, hundreds of thousands of Kincakes are sold out 216 00:12:51,440 --> 00:12:54,680 Speaker 1: of New Orleans every Marty Gross season. I couldn't track 217 00:12:54,720 --> 00:12:57,840 Speaker 1: down a firm total, but the big commercial bakeries ramp 218 00:12:57,920 --> 00:13:02,439 Speaker 1: up to producing three thousand, five hundred Kingcakes per day 219 00:13:02,559 --> 00:13:07,239 Speaker 1: at their busiest. That's a lot of plastic babies. Indeed, 220 00:13:08,160 --> 00:13:12,280 Speaker 1: during the carnival season, the New Orleans NBA mascot is 221 00:13:12,440 --> 00:13:16,920 Speaker 1: a Kingcake baby. We love a funny mascot, but actually 222 00:13:16,920 --> 00:13:20,520 Speaker 1: this one is more terrified, and I believe the people 223 00:13:20,520 --> 00:13:23,760 Speaker 1: behind it are pursuing a lawsuit against the baby mascot 224 00:13:23,840 --> 00:13:28,920 Speaker 1: serial killer in the Happy Death They series. The resemblance 225 00:13:29,040 --> 00:13:32,240 Speaker 1: is remarkable. It is you can look it up. The 226 00:13:32,280 --> 00:13:36,960 Speaker 1: design is based on a traditional carnival parade costumes consisting 227 00:13:37,000 --> 00:13:42,080 Speaker 1: of these hugely oversized cartoonish paper mache heads on normal 228 00:13:42,120 --> 00:13:45,440 Speaker 1: sized bodies. And these designs go back hundreds of years 229 00:13:45,480 --> 00:13:49,400 Speaker 1: and are frequently like mocking or kind of grotesque, So 230 00:13:49,440 --> 00:13:53,080 Speaker 1: it's not like surprising the mascot designer is having to 231 00:13:53,160 --> 00:13:57,920 Speaker 1: sue a horror designer. Yeah. Um, but you know, do 232 00:13:58,000 --> 00:14:00,280 Speaker 1: you still favor and look it up or don't? Pending 233 00:14:00,280 --> 00:14:01,880 Speaker 1: on what kind of favors you like to do yourself. 234 00:14:02,160 --> 00:14:09,400 Speaker 1: Oh no, do it anyway. Yes. Kincake, the Danish dough type, 235 00:14:09,440 --> 00:14:11,440 Speaker 1: is perhaps the most popular, but it is not the 236 00:14:11,480 --> 00:14:14,440 Speaker 1: only kind, and New Orleans isn't the only place to 237 00:14:14,600 --> 00:14:18,720 Speaker 1: serve kincakes by far. In northern France, you can find galtra, 238 00:14:18,960 --> 00:14:22,560 Speaker 1: a flaky puff pastry filled with fring japan almond cream. 239 00:14:22,680 --> 00:14:25,280 Speaker 1: Usually a pattern is burned on top before baking with 240 00:14:25,320 --> 00:14:29,119 Speaker 1: a bean or five um, which is baked inside. Sometimes 241 00:14:29,200 --> 00:14:31,920 Speaker 1: it is completed and served with a paper crown. You 242 00:14:31,960 --> 00:14:34,960 Speaker 1: can find a glet raw in some French bakeries around 243 00:14:34,960 --> 00:14:39,360 Speaker 1: New Orleans, similar but not exactly the same. Bulgaria's Philo 244 00:14:39,440 --> 00:14:44,080 Speaker 1: do Baniza, and greece is crumbly almond topa pizza traditionally 245 00:14:44,120 --> 00:14:46,600 Speaker 1: served on New Year's Day and New Year's Eve, respectively. 246 00:14:47,120 --> 00:14:50,720 Speaker 1: The New Orleans kincake, in contrast to these, is closer 247 00:14:50,720 --> 00:14:53,800 Speaker 1: to the ghetto dropped from southern France, which is made 248 00:14:53,840 --> 00:14:57,840 Speaker 1: with Brioche and also to the rascad Rays from Spain, 249 00:14:58,120 --> 00:15:01,720 Speaker 1: which is a ring of sweet bread topped with icing 250 00:15:01,800 --> 00:15:05,520 Speaker 1: and candied fruit, which makes sense given the city's history 251 00:15:05,560 --> 00:15:09,160 Speaker 1: with Southern French and Spanish settlers. And we'll get into 252 00:15:09,200 --> 00:15:11,760 Speaker 1: that history of kin Kike and Marti Gras after a 253 00:15:11,800 --> 00:15:22,800 Speaker 1: quick break for a word from our sponsor, and we're back. 254 00:15:22,840 --> 00:15:25,440 Speaker 1: Thank you, sponsor, Yes, thank you. Like a lot of 255 00:15:25,480 --> 00:15:28,640 Speaker 1: things in New Orleans, Marti Gras is a French import 256 00:15:28,680 --> 00:15:31,240 Speaker 1: influenced by all the other cultures that we have talked 257 00:15:31,240 --> 00:15:34,040 Speaker 1: about in that area, and as we talked about in 258 00:15:34,080 --> 00:15:37,240 Speaker 1: our Jelly Donut episode, of all places, Marti Gras and 259 00:15:37,280 --> 00:15:40,680 Speaker 1: other carnival celebrations have roots that go all way back. 260 00:15:41,000 --> 00:15:43,440 Speaker 1: People have been celebrating the end of winter and the 261 00:15:43,520 --> 00:15:48,280 Speaker 1: return of longer warmer days up forever since the first 262 00:15:48,360 --> 00:15:51,920 Speaker 1: brave human who did to celebrate so brave, so brave. 263 00:15:52,760 --> 00:15:57,360 Speaker 1: Ancient Babylonia might have held the first carnival circa b 264 00:15:57,480 --> 00:16:01,200 Speaker 1: c Um. This was a festival that celebrated mirth and 265 00:16:01,320 --> 00:16:05,400 Speaker 1: change through satire by making a show of role reversals. 266 00:16:05,720 --> 00:16:08,080 Speaker 1: There would be a parade through the streets, a pair 267 00:16:08,120 --> 00:16:10,680 Speaker 1: of peasants would be royalty for the day and the 268 00:16:10,720 --> 00:16:14,080 Speaker 1: real royalty would act like fools. Pranks were played, folks 269 00:16:14,120 --> 00:16:16,880 Speaker 1: would wear costumes depicting social classes other than their own. 270 00:16:17,160 --> 00:16:20,800 Speaker 1: Everyone partied, and these traditions would be incorporated into and 271 00:16:21,040 --> 00:16:25,080 Speaker 1: or disseminated through Grecian and Roman cultural traditions like the 272 00:16:25,080 --> 00:16:30,680 Speaker 1: bacchanalia and Lubercalia and Saturnalia, and then Christian traditions, especially 273 00:16:30,920 --> 00:16:37,320 Speaker 1: Catholic ones. During the Middle Ages, like maybe nine. These 274 00:16:37,320 --> 00:16:41,200 Speaker 1: traditions became super popular all throughout Europe, and um lots 275 00:16:41,200 --> 00:16:45,720 Speaker 1: of specific but certainly related forms of carnival started developing 276 00:16:46,000 --> 00:16:49,040 Speaker 1: and getting passed around. Is this what was going on 277 00:16:49,080 --> 00:16:51,920 Speaker 1: in the Hunchback of Notre Dame. Oh, that's another one 278 00:16:51,920 --> 00:16:57,840 Speaker 1: I've never seen. Probably it's got a really dark song 279 00:16:57,920 --> 00:16:59,960 Speaker 1: in it for a Disney movie, I gotta say, I'm 280 00:17:00,040 --> 00:17:03,160 Speaker 1: and the whole thing is pretty dark. For it's grim 281 00:17:03,160 --> 00:17:06,000 Speaker 1: It's it's not really nice. I guess this is research 282 00:17:06,080 --> 00:17:11,960 Speaker 1: for later off off Mike. Outside of podcast anyway, During 283 00:17:11,960 --> 00:17:15,480 Speaker 1: the seventeenth and eighteenth century, France celebrated the fatting of 284 00:17:15,480 --> 00:17:18,080 Speaker 1: the calf boof crop before Lent, and they brought the 285 00:17:18,119 --> 00:17:21,600 Speaker 1: tradition to New Orleans, and of course New Orleans took 286 00:17:21,640 --> 00:17:23,640 Speaker 1: it and ran with it and made it their own. 287 00:17:24,160 --> 00:17:27,280 Speaker 1: We discussed in our Overview episode. French Canadian explorer Jean 288 00:17:27,359 --> 00:17:30,840 Speaker 1: Baptist la Vienne Bill, who is credited with naming New 289 00:17:30,960 --> 00:17:34,720 Speaker 1: Orleans along with his brother Pierre Lemoien Sieur d'ur beville. 290 00:17:34,920 --> 00:17:38,240 Speaker 1: Bienville also named a point about sixty miles south point 291 00:17:38,400 --> 00:17:41,119 Speaker 1: do Montegral after they realized that it was the night 292 00:17:41,160 --> 00:17:43,200 Speaker 1: before the holiday when they were picking out the name. 293 00:17:43,880 --> 00:17:46,760 Speaker 1: He also set up and named Fort Louis de Louisiana 294 00:17:46,840 --> 00:17:50,639 Speaker 1: in seventeen o two modern day Mobile, which according to 295 00:17:50,800 --> 00:17:53,480 Speaker 1: records is the first place to celebrate Marti Gras in 296 00:17:53,600 --> 00:17:57,000 Speaker 1: the New World. In seventeen or three that it was small, 297 00:17:57,200 --> 00:18:00,480 Speaker 1: it was apparently a success, enough so that the very 298 00:18:00,560 --> 00:18:03,720 Speaker 1: next year, in seventeen o four, a secret society was formed, 299 00:18:03,760 --> 00:18:08,000 Speaker 1: similar to a crew today Masque de Lamobile. It kept 300 00:18:08,080 --> 00:18:10,480 Speaker 1: up until seventeen o nine, and in seventeen ten the 301 00:18:10,600 --> 00:18:14,160 Speaker 1: Buff Grass Society was formed. It stuck around until eighteen 302 00:18:14,280 --> 00:18:17,760 Speaker 1: sixty one and entailed a huge bulls head pushed by 303 00:18:17,880 --> 00:18:23,360 Speaker 1: sixteen men. The bull was known as Rex heck yeah, 304 00:18:23,680 --> 00:18:27,680 Speaker 1: heck yeah. Oh. When New Orleans was established in seventeen eighteen, 305 00:18:27,840 --> 00:18:30,960 Speaker 1: Marty Grass celebrations slowly started to become part of the 306 00:18:31,040 --> 00:18:34,800 Speaker 1: city's fabric. The first informal parade may have happened in 307 00:18:35,040 --> 00:18:38,040 Speaker 1: seventeen twenty seven, after a group of students returned from 308 00:18:38,119 --> 00:18:43,320 Speaker 1: Paris with ideas and costumes. By the seventeen thirties, street 309 00:18:43,359 --> 00:18:47,040 Speaker 1: celebrations were common, and seventeen thirty seven may have seen 310 00:18:47,119 --> 00:18:50,760 Speaker 1: the first organized parade. Still no floats or beads, though 311 00:18:51,480 --> 00:18:55,440 Speaker 1: in the early seventeen forties, Louisiana governor, the Marquis de Adria, 312 00:18:55,840 --> 00:18:58,679 Speaker 1: laid the groundwork for the New Orleans Marty Grass balls 313 00:18:58,760 --> 00:19:03,000 Speaker 1: by setting up elegant society balls. The first known reference 314 00:19:03,080 --> 00:19:06,000 Speaker 1: to Marty Gras carnival appeared in a report to the 315 00:19:06,080 --> 00:19:10,040 Speaker 1: Spanish colonial governing body in seventy one. Around the same time, 316 00:19:10,119 --> 00:19:12,639 Speaker 1: we get the first of what would become hundreds of 317 00:19:12,760 --> 00:19:16,560 Speaker 1: New Orleans carnival clubs and organizations with the establishment of 318 00:19:16,600 --> 00:19:20,560 Speaker 1: the Perseverance, Benevolent and Mutual Aid Association. This was one 319 00:19:20,640 --> 00:19:23,160 Speaker 1: of the social aid clubs that we talked about again 320 00:19:23,240 --> 00:19:25,480 Speaker 1: in that intro to New Orleans that we did, and 321 00:19:25,560 --> 00:19:28,560 Speaker 1: an organization founded by free people of color to help 322 00:19:28,600 --> 00:19:32,080 Speaker 1: each other with life expenses and death expenses in times 323 00:19:32,160 --> 00:19:36,119 Speaker 1: when the establishment denied them service. They also had great parties. 324 00:19:37,000 --> 00:19:39,480 Speaker 1: By the eighteen thirties, the city celebrated Marty Gras with 325 00:19:39,560 --> 00:19:43,399 Speaker 1: processions of masked horseback riders. The parade path was lit 326 00:19:43,480 --> 00:19:47,640 Speaker 1: by gas light torches called glambeaux. Then, in eighteen fifty seven, 327 00:19:47,920 --> 00:19:50,920 Speaker 1: six folks from Mobile started the Mystic Crew of Comus, 328 00:19:51,119 --> 00:19:54,280 Speaker 1: and they introduced the floats to the New Orleans carnival 329 00:19:54,400 --> 00:19:58,879 Speaker 1: parades and masquerade balls. Because members of the Crew were anonymous, 330 00:19:59,600 --> 00:20:02,359 Speaker 1: the Second Crew of New Orleans formed in eighteen seventy, 331 00:20:02,560 --> 00:20:04,800 Speaker 1: which is also the same year of the first Marty 332 00:20:04,840 --> 00:20:09,360 Speaker 1: Gras throws. The Rex Organization, one of the oldest organizations, 333 00:20:09,760 --> 00:20:12,560 Speaker 1: solidified green, gold, and purple as Marty Grath colors by 334 00:20:12,600 --> 00:20:15,920 Speaker 1: eighteen seventy two. These colors were chosen in honor of 335 00:20:16,000 --> 00:20:19,280 Speaker 1: the visiting Russian Grand Duke Alexis Romanov. They were as 336 00:20:19,320 --> 00:20:22,760 Speaker 1: Families colors. The Rex Organization also established Rex as the 337 00:20:22,920 --> 00:20:26,920 Speaker 1: King of the daytime carnival. This century is also when 338 00:20:26,960 --> 00:20:30,720 Speaker 1: we get the phrase neutral ground, which at first reference 339 00:20:30,800 --> 00:20:34,760 Speaker 1: the lines dividing municipalities, but now indicates the median that 340 00:20:34,840 --> 00:20:38,000 Speaker 1: separates streets and is used as a descriptor for where 341 00:20:38,040 --> 00:20:41,560 Speaker 1: a parade goer will stand neutral ground versus sidewalk side. 342 00:20:42,960 --> 00:20:46,320 Speaker 1: In eighteen seventy five, the Marty Gras Act made Marty 343 00:20:46,359 --> 00:20:49,359 Speaker 1: Gras a legal holiday in Louisiana, and it remains so 344 00:20:49,600 --> 00:20:52,159 Speaker 1: to this day, and the praise and balls only got 345 00:20:52,200 --> 00:20:55,120 Speaker 1: bigger through the twentieth century as tourism and local wealth 346 00:20:55,480 --> 00:20:58,600 Speaker 1: for some not all, increased. We saw some of the 347 00:20:58,640 --> 00:21:02,520 Speaker 1: scepters and crowns of prior Crew Royalty on display at 348 00:21:02,600 --> 00:21:05,840 Speaker 1: the Historic New Orleans Collection, not like out front though, 349 00:21:05,960 --> 00:21:08,480 Speaker 1: just tucked away in the reading room where we where 350 00:21:08,520 --> 00:21:11,760 Speaker 1: we did our interview with Amanda mcfillan and Dr Jessica Harris, Like, oh, 351 00:21:11,840 --> 00:21:14,000 Speaker 1: no big deal. Just you know, if you happen to 352 00:21:14,080 --> 00:21:16,600 Speaker 1: be in there, I guess maybe look at these spectacularly 353 00:21:16,680 --> 00:21:20,159 Speaker 1: shiny things. Hard not to look at them, hard not to. 354 00:21:20,720 --> 00:21:23,040 Speaker 1: And we got to see some vintage ball costumes up 355 00:21:23,080 --> 00:21:25,680 Speaker 1: close during an impromp to visit to the Germaine Wells 356 00:21:25,720 --> 00:21:29,320 Speaker 1: Marty Gram Museum, located in the massive, sprawling complex that 357 00:21:29,480 --> 00:21:31,760 Speaker 1: also hosts our Nose, one of the oldest restaurants in 358 00:21:31,800 --> 00:21:35,119 Speaker 1: New Orleans. The co proprietor, Katie Casbarian, gave us a 359 00:21:35,200 --> 00:21:39,080 Speaker 1: tour after our interview. It was amazing. We discussed it 360 00:21:39,160 --> 00:21:44,080 Speaker 1: when we first got back Marty Gram Museum. Yeah, and 361 00:21:44,200 --> 00:21:47,360 Speaker 1: she showed it to us. It was a wonderful surprise, Yes, 362 00:21:47,680 --> 00:21:50,240 Speaker 1: oh man, because one of the one of the prior owners, 363 00:21:50,720 --> 00:21:54,200 Speaker 1: um the daughter of the original owner, was this amazing 364 00:21:54,280 --> 00:21:57,960 Speaker 1: sounding spitfire of a woman who, Yeah, who would commission 365 00:21:58,040 --> 00:22:06,040 Speaker 1: these why old, beautiful, gigantic, intricate Marty gar addresses. Yeah, 366 00:22:06,240 --> 00:22:12,159 Speaker 1: that looks fabulous and also incredibly heavy. So you go up, 367 00:22:12,240 --> 00:22:14,880 Speaker 1: like you know, you go up one of the many 368 00:22:15,000 --> 00:22:18,040 Speaker 1: winding stairways in this place and kind of go down 369 00:22:18,160 --> 00:22:20,679 Speaker 1: one of the many winding hallways, and all of a sudden, 370 00:22:20,960 --> 00:22:28,000 Speaker 1: here in this clothing museum, we're talking capes and dress 371 00:22:28,080 --> 00:22:31,399 Speaker 1: trains six ft long and six ft wide, hundreds of 372 00:22:31,560 --> 00:22:35,480 Speaker 1: thousands of gems and sequence. Also, one of the ghost 373 00:22:35,520 --> 00:22:41,080 Speaker 1: stories we heard was set in those very hallways. Stay 374 00:22:41,119 --> 00:22:43,840 Speaker 1: tuned after the credits to hear that one. But hey, 375 00:22:44,480 --> 00:22:48,800 Speaker 1: we're a food podcast, purportedly, what about the King Cake. 376 00:22:49,320 --> 00:22:51,160 Speaker 1: We'll get into that after a quick break for word 377 00:22:51,200 --> 00:23:02,680 Speaker 1: from our sponsor, and we're back. Thank you sponsor, Yes, 378 00:23:02,800 --> 00:23:06,760 Speaker 1: thank you. So the first kingcakes may go all the 379 00:23:06,800 --> 00:23:09,359 Speaker 1: way back to ancient Rome. As part of the celebration 380 00:23:09,520 --> 00:23:13,040 Speaker 1: of the aforementioned Saturnalia, which is a winter solstice and 381 00:23:13,200 --> 00:23:16,879 Speaker 1: a harvest festival, pastry would be baked with a fava 382 00:23:16,920 --> 00:23:20,000 Speaker 1: being hidden inside, and the finder would be named King 383 00:23:20,080 --> 00:23:23,120 Speaker 1: of the day. The tradition became a part of Epiphany 384 00:23:23,200 --> 00:23:26,440 Speaker 1: celebrations in the Middle Ages. The fava bean was sometimes 385 00:23:26,520 --> 00:23:29,600 Speaker 1: replaced by a porcelain token of a crowned head to 386 00:23:29,800 --> 00:23:32,120 Speaker 1: take a little bit of the pagan out of the festival. 387 00:23:32,920 --> 00:23:35,359 Speaker 1: And when Spain and France spread their outposts to the 388 00:23:35,400 --> 00:23:39,280 Speaker 1: New World, the kingcake tradition came with them and took 389 00:23:39,320 --> 00:23:41,879 Speaker 1: on a life of its own, especially perhaps in New Orleans. 390 00:23:42,720 --> 00:23:45,760 Speaker 1: Like we said, the baby or whatever small item was used, 391 00:23:45,880 --> 00:23:49,440 Speaker 1: is largely believed to represent the baby Jesus. Another theory 392 00:23:49,520 --> 00:23:53,200 Speaker 1: suggests that in colonial Louisiana, the baby are really the 393 00:23:53,440 --> 00:23:55,479 Speaker 1: bean or grain of rice that it probably was at 394 00:23:55,480 --> 00:23:59,119 Speaker 1: the time commemorated the King's ball, the lucky finder of 395 00:23:59,160 --> 00:24:02,000 Speaker 1: the trinket. What it was would be ground king or 396 00:24:02,080 --> 00:24:05,639 Speaker 1: queen of the balls preceding the grand finale, Mary like, 397 00:24:05,760 --> 00:24:08,080 Speaker 1: you'd be crowned for a week and responsible for bringing 398 00:24:08,119 --> 00:24:10,520 Speaker 1: the cake to the next ball a week later. It 399 00:24:10,560 --> 00:24:15,720 Speaker 1: seems like a lot of balls. Yeah. Until the nineteen fifties, yeah, 400 00:24:15,800 --> 00:24:18,359 Speaker 1: things like coins or other trinkets were used. And this 401 00:24:18,520 --> 00:24:22,360 Speaker 1: is also when Americans started ordering king cakes in larger numbers. 402 00:24:22,880 --> 00:24:26,520 Speaker 1: It wasn't a baby until a bakery called Mackenzie's came 403 00:24:26,600 --> 00:24:29,240 Speaker 1: up with the idea. And at first these figures were yeah, 404 00:24:29,320 --> 00:24:32,760 Speaker 1: made out of porcelain and baked into the cake, but 405 00:24:32,880 --> 00:24:35,960 Speaker 1: as plastic became cheaper, they were eventually replaced with that 406 00:24:36,640 --> 00:24:39,119 Speaker 1: which comes alongside the cake and not baked into it, 407 00:24:39,280 --> 00:24:43,159 Speaker 1: due to you know, concerns about baking plastic. Right, No, 408 00:24:43,359 --> 00:24:46,359 Speaker 1: not delicious. These early cakes were also more bread like 409 00:24:46,680 --> 00:24:50,880 Speaker 1: or brioche like or pundule say like, and they didn't 410 00:24:50,960 --> 00:24:53,240 Speaker 1: have filling yet either. That didn't come around until the 411 00:24:53,320 --> 00:24:56,760 Speaker 1: nineteen eighties, as bakers began adding more eggs and sugar 412 00:24:57,000 --> 00:25:00,880 Speaker 1: to the recipes or straight up switching to Danish hastory recipes. 413 00:25:01,720 --> 00:25:06,280 Speaker 1: An anecdotal tail puts the first commercial filled kincakes in 414 00:25:06,359 --> 00:25:10,200 Speaker 1: New Orleans to nine eight three, according to our friend 415 00:25:10,280 --> 00:25:15,200 Speaker 1: Liz Williams. According to Jones Seaman, that year Jones Bakery 416 00:25:15,400 --> 00:25:18,680 Speaker 1: baked four filled cakes, her husband took one to work, 417 00:25:18,880 --> 00:25:21,360 Speaker 1: and they got twenty five calls about filled cakes within 418 00:25:21,480 --> 00:25:28,119 Speaker 1: thirty minutes. That's some good marketing, accidental or otherwise. This 419 00:25:28,320 --> 00:25:31,200 Speaker 1: is when shipping technology improved as well, and part thanks 420 00:25:31,240 --> 00:25:33,720 Speaker 1: to folks moving out of New Orleans due to the 421 00:25:33,920 --> 00:25:37,000 Speaker 1: boom Bus but still wanting their kincakes, and also due 422 00:25:37,040 --> 00:25:43,040 Speaker 1: to food editors quickly demand grew. By nine nineteen, bakers 423 00:25:43,119 --> 00:25:45,920 Speaker 1: in Louisiana, in conjunction with the United States Postal Service, 424 00:25:46,080 --> 00:25:50,720 Speaker 1: offered overnight delivery for eighteen dollars. According to Federal Express, 425 00:25:50,840 --> 00:25:54,320 Speaker 1: they had been shipping thirty thousand kincakes annually since nine. 426 00:25:55,800 --> 00:25:58,960 Speaker 1: Remember that that's around when Cajun and Creole food really 427 00:25:59,000 --> 00:26:02,440 Speaker 1: hit the national scene. And with this national trend status 428 00:26:02,600 --> 00:26:06,159 Speaker 1: and the honed sense of community history and pride that 429 00:26:06,359 --> 00:26:09,639 Speaker 1: that rose up after Katrina, you've got a veritable glut 430 00:26:09,960 --> 00:26:15,520 Speaker 1: of kincake options today. Miniature kincakes, kincake donuts, kincake, vodka, kincake, 431 00:26:15,600 --> 00:26:19,480 Speaker 1: bourbon milk, punch of kincake, smoothie and of course, in 432 00:26:19,520 --> 00:26:22,520 Speaker 1: a city that loves a party, Kincake Festival held in 433 00:26:22,640 --> 00:26:27,440 Speaker 1: late January. Of course, well, that about brings us to 434 00:26:27,520 --> 00:26:31,560 Speaker 1: the end of this episode and listeners, we would love 435 00:26:31,600 --> 00:26:33,920 Speaker 1: to hear from you. Have you been to this festival? 436 00:26:34,240 --> 00:26:37,240 Speaker 1: Do you have a kingcake recipe or a favorite shop 437 00:26:37,320 --> 00:26:39,640 Speaker 1: to buy one at? Please let us know at Hello 438 00:26:39,760 --> 00:26:42,399 Speaker 1: at savor pod dot com. You can also find us 439 00:26:42,440 --> 00:26:45,640 Speaker 1: on social media. We are on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook 440 00:26:45,720 --> 00:26:48,520 Speaker 1: at savor Pod. We hope to hear from you. Thank you, 441 00:26:48,640 --> 00:26:51,520 Speaker 1: as always to our superproducers Dylan Fagan and Andrew Howard, 442 00:26:51,720 --> 00:26:55,600 Speaker 1: our executive producer Christopher Hasiotis, and our interviewees and the 443 00:26:55,720 --> 00:26:58,280 Speaker 1: good folks who put us in touch with those interviewees. 444 00:26:58,640 --> 00:27:00,280 Speaker 1: Thank you to you for listening and you hope that 445 00:27:00,320 --> 00:27:06,960 Speaker 1: lots more good things are coming your way. So that 446 00:27:07,200 --> 00:27:11,639 Speaker 1: museum was created in honor of Jermine Wells, that the 447 00:27:11,800 --> 00:27:14,359 Speaker 1: founder's daughter who ran the restaurant for thirty years. She 448 00:27:14,480 --> 00:27:16,880 Speaker 1: presided over more Marty Girl balls than any other woman. 449 00:27:17,000 --> 00:27:19,480 Speaker 1: And she had created these mannequins to resemble her, and 450 00:27:19,560 --> 00:27:23,159 Speaker 1: had these gowns that she wore put on the mannequins 451 00:27:23,320 --> 00:27:25,400 Speaker 1: and it was in a back house area that people 452 00:27:25,440 --> 00:27:28,440 Speaker 1: could go see. But when my parents bought the restaurant 453 00:27:28,880 --> 00:27:31,440 Speaker 1: and renovated, they ended up with sort of an unusable, 454 00:27:31,480 --> 00:27:34,240 Speaker 1: awkward space that could have only been used for storage 455 00:27:34,280 --> 00:27:36,040 Speaker 1: at some point, but they had all of these things, 456 00:27:36,160 --> 00:27:38,080 Speaker 1: so they decided to make a museum in her eye. 457 00:27:38,240 --> 00:27:44,760 Speaker 1: So it's a very quirky, spooky, amazing space that people 458 00:27:45,040 --> 00:27:47,280 Speaker 1: love still to the state to come see, and anyone 459 00:27:47,359 --> 00:27:49,680 Speaker 1: can come. You don't have to dine here, um, you 460 00:27:49,840 --> 00:27:52,119 Speaker 1: just it's open during our operating hours. So that's the 461 00:27:52,119 --> 00:27:56,720 Speaker 1: backstory in the museum. There was some workers who did 462 00:27:56,800 --> 00:27:58,600 Speaker 1: work here all the time, so it wasn't like they 463 00:27:58,640 --> 00:28:00,600 Speaker 1: had just were here for that project. They were doing 464 00:28:00,680 --> 00:28:04,560 Speaker 1: some painting or something in the space, and it was 465 00:28:04,680 --> 00:28:08,080 Speaker 1: before we were open, so it wasn't during our operating hours. Um. 466 00:28:08,359 --> 00:28:13,399 Speaker 1: And they this woman came up the steps and was 467 00:28:13,520 --> 00:28:17,040 Speaker 1: confused about getting out. Wasn't was you know, it's easy 468 00:28:17,080 --> 00:28:20,120 Speaker 1: to get turned around in here. So it was two 469 00:28:20,200 --> 00:28:22,000 Speaker 1: of them, and one of them had gone to go, 470 00:28:22,280 --> 00:28:24,200 Speaker 1: you know, I don't know, like rinse off a pape 471 00:28:24,240 --> 00:28:28,600 Speaker 1: rush or something. Woman's confused about getting out. So this 472 00:28:28,760 --> 00:28:33,560 Speaker 1: guy's instructing her how to get out. He has conversation 473 00:28:33,640 --> 00:28:37,840 Speaker 1: with her. She follows his instruction, but almost like immediately, 474 00:28:37,920 --> 00:28:40,160 Speaker 1: the other guy comes back up. And so the guy 475 00:28:40,280 --> 00:28:42,560 Speaker 1: that gave the instruction said, hey, did you see that 476 00:28:42,680 --> 00:28:46,000 Speaker 1: that woman got out? And he said, were you talking about? 477 00:28:46,040 --> 00:28:48,320 Speaker 1: There was no woman. You know that we're the only 478 00:28:48,360 --> 00:28:52,880 Speaker 1: ones here. The restaurant's closes, no woman here. Storry number 479 00:28:52,920 --> 00:28:54,720 Speaker 1: two always a good one.