A mini zine of select King Cake origin stories written by youth across New Orleans.

“The matriarch of the family stood up and said ‘You need cake for the culture.’ She began to say, ‘We need this cake to remind us of our royalty. So each of the colors will show that. To have fun, let’s put a baby in there to show that this party is for the new birth of New Orleans.’”

-Isaiah Simon, grade 12, excerpt from “Cake for the Culture”

These stories were distributed on king cakes boxes from Gracious Bakery during the week leading up to Mardi Gras with the support from the MiNO (Made in New Orleans) Foundation.