You know, they didn’t always put a plastic baby in a king cake. Here’s why they did. – Upworthy

In my humble opinion, the Mardis Gras king cake is by far the coolest holiday dessert. Its got a little bit of everything: a fun design, bold colors, a rich history (more on that later).

Made with yeasty cinnamon flavored doughand heaps of symbolismthis regal pastry-cake hybrid is usually oval shaped to resemble a crown, along with tri-colored icing in gold, purple, and green to represent power, justice, and faith.

And lets not forget the piece de resistance: that miniature plastic baby, destined to be found by one lucky individual. Lucky in the sense that finding it means they now have the honor of providing the cake for next year.

However, there wasnt always a baby hiding in the dough. Like most traditions, this one has evolved and adapted over time. And of course, it began with pagans.

During this winter solstice celebration, Saturnthe Roman god of agriculturewould be honored by using the gains of the seasons harvest to make ceremonial cakes. And instead of a miniature baby, one singular fava bean would be placed inside. And whosoever should find the bean would be named king of the day.

Which is a bit odd, considering in ancient tradition they were regarded as omens of death. But other sources note that favas were considered magic and even used for voting. Certainly makes that infamous Hannibal line take on a whole new context

In Roman Catholic tradition, The Epiphany denotes the day when the three kings first saw the baby Jesus. The Kings Cake came to represent this day, even taking on the name of Epiphany Cake.

So it stands to reason that if this sweet treat became associated with the celebration of baby Jesus, then of course the plastic baby was originally intended for such representation, right?

Wrong.

By then, the king cake had already been a prominent Mardi Gras item.

Owner of one of the 20th centurys most famous bakeries, Donald Entringer of McKenzies was approached by a salesman carrying a surplus of tiny porcelain dolls from France, according to food expert Poppy Tooker in an interview with NPR.

"He had a big overrun on them, and so he said to Entringer, 'How about using these in a king cake, Tooker told NPR.

Though a simple case of supply-and-demand isnt terribly exciting, the way this simple concept has advanced to become the dishs golden standard is pretty remarkable.

Plus, the fact that this Louisiana tradition is steeped in history of bawdy hedonism and sacred spiritualism, all with a healthy dose of capitalizing on the comboI mean if thats not New Orleans in a nutshell, I dont know what is.

Pecans, jeweled rings, gold coins, and small charms have also been used. Some bakeries have even made their own customized trinkets. Others have started avoiding placing them inside altogether, attempting to thwart potential lawsuits. Baking with plastic is a tad more frowned upon these days.

Theres the French galette des rois, which is less colorful but oh-so-flaky, topped with a golden paper crown.

Also theres Spanish rosca de reyes, flavored with lots of orange and topped with dried fruit.

Theres even a Greek version, vasilopita, thats very similar to coffee cake. Not that you couldnt have any of these cakes for breakfast, but theres an excuse baked right into this one.

No matter what style you try, or whether or not you find that plastic baby, the Kings cakealong with its festive history and captivating loreare definitely worth celebrating.

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You know, they didn't always put a plastic baby in a king cake. Here's why they did. - Upworthy