The largest craziest loudest celebration attended by thousands of tourists every year Mardi Gras is beyond just drinks and music. The festival has a history of centuries and is deeply rooted in religious sentiment. The Carnival and Mardi Gras day, also called Shrove Tuesday, are all about partying and food before the Lent begins.
Mardi Gras Traditions food is a vital aspect of the entire occasion. Of course, it’s a great way to enter 40 days of Lent’s fasting.
What is the Mardi Gras Festival?
Mardi Gras is a religious event that counts in family gatherings as well. But, that does limit the ways to unleash your inner devil. Cause’ Mardi Gras is among the biggest party fests in the world.
The Mardi Gras lasts until Lent starts. As we all know, sacrificing favorite drinks and foods going to last for 40-long-days during Lent, till Easter; why not eat, drink, dance, and get a little naughty before fasting periods?
Besides, all those drinks and music, when they say, “Women flash their breasts to get Beads.” Something might have pinched your mind.
What is the fuss about and where did it start?
The Mardi Gras is believed to have started sometime back in the 1830s in New Orleans. The parades begin on the 12th night of Christmas and end on Fat Tuesday which is originally called Mardi Gras Day.
The period of the Parades is officially called carnival. In 1872, the Carnival King called Rex was invented by an org. of businessmen. Since then, Rex has been leading the parade route.
Mardi Gras Beads – The Throws
Mardi Gras Beads, used as Mardi Gras Throws have rooted deep into the tradition since way long back. Beads are not the only thing used for Mardi Gras souvenirs though, but are one of the prime attractions in the very event, we can say that fairly.
Among many items for Mardi Gras decors and souvenirs, Beads have been used widely in Mardi Gras Parades thus making it popularized. Mardi Gras Parades on Bourbon Street or on French Fat Tuesday, Beads have become an essential element of the entire event, and it brings a story to tell.
Earlier, during the parade sugar coated almonds are thrown to the crowds by the Rex.
The almonds were way too costly to simply waste on the crowds’ throw, so they invented comparatively cheaper throw for the parades. Glass beads fabricated necklaces were then tossed by the Krewes replacing almonds. The beads made an immense sensation to the crowds and the event itself instantly.
It is also said that the usage of beads came to the idea when a Santa Claus-like dressed-up man used beads to decorate his costume, and then some of the tourists started to follow this getup and decorated their costumes with beads.
Since the trend of using the Mardi Gras Beads, by 1900, over a million tourists visited New Orleans intending to participate in the Carnival and celebrate Mardi Gras Day and got their necks holding beads.
Over time, a variety of new Mardi Gras throws have been tossed to the parade crowds as such toys, plastic cups, doubloons, figurines, Frisbees, etc. The Zulu crew also practiced throwing coconuts alongside beads to the crowds. Nevertheless, Mardi Gras Beads has been holding the most thrown trinkets to date.
Beads made of glass tend to be harmful to crowds and are replaced by plastic beads made with various colors, sizes, and shapes. The combination of colors used in beads also has a traditional touch. The colors are Gold, Green, and Purple where gold symbolizes Power, Green signifies Faith, and Purple represents Justice.
Best Mardi Gras Traditions Food You Shouldn’t Miss
Adding to your excitement, Mardi Gras brings some traditional food that makes the celebration really fun. There are no boundaries to consuming your desired world-class food at the event. Regardless, some of the best Mardi Gras food items are considered a must-try if you wish to feel the fest sensation truly.
We have enlisted what you should not miss on the Mardi Gras food list for festive dining.
# King Cakes
When it comes to Mardi Gras traditional food, King Cakes is the core of attraction for an obvious cause. It appears with twinkling colorful sugar on the Danish dough-made surface. The color used in the cake also follows the tradition of Mardi Gras colors that are Gold, Green, and Purple representing the same meaning as in beads.
The cake also sparks your excitement with an additional feature in it. A baby-shaped tiny plastic toy is hidden inside the cake which signifies Baby Jesus. Whoever gets the slice of cake with the baby Jesus is believed to possess good luck.
# Crawfish
Crawfish and Lousiana have a relation of centuries old. Dated back to 1755, since then Crawfish has been in the food tradition of Louisiana. History says, that back then, Acadians who are the origins of Canada’s seashores sought an alternative to seafood when they relocated to the state. They found the crawfish a better match.
Over the years, Acadians turned into Cajus; however, crawfish already have made an immense place on the dining table. Today, the crawfish has become one of the most consumed Mardi Gras traditional food.
# Jambalaya
If you’re familiar with Spanish paella and like it, this one will drive you to starve. In New Orleans, Jambalaya is regarded as modern paella which is brought to the state by Spanish descendents. The only difference in it from the original Spanish paella is that saffron is missing from the ingredient.
As an alternative, tomatoes are used for a decent color and flavor. Today, Jambalaya is so much adopted by Lousiana dwellers that you will find it in reputed restaurants, church fairs, family gatherings, and wedding occasions.
# Creole Cuisine
As long as you’re in NOLA, you will get this dish pretty much on all occasions and all types of dining menus. The origin of Creole is in New Orleans’ Lousiana itself. Over time, its recipe was adopted with a mixture of many spices derived from various regions including French, German, West African, Indian, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, and Caribbean.
In NOLA, if you dine in any restaurant that serves Creole, you are supposed to get all the native food as such Jambalaya, Crawfish, Gumbo, etc. Adding to the menu, you can get rice, red beans, and more delicious dishes to celebrate Madri Gras with mouth. Above all, the mentioned best Madri Gras traditional foods are a must try.
