Pictured: the King's Cake (quickly) consumed by the SRQ staff.

It's a mystery—who will be this year's King for a Day? Who will be the lucky winner of the tiny pink plastic babe? No clue what's going on? Let this be a quick education about the pre-Lenten/Mardi Gras "King's Cake," a ring-shaped pastry dough cake topped with icing and colored sugar, usually purple, green and gold (symbolizing the gold, frankincense and myrrh gifted by the Three Wise Men). And inside—a baby figurine—an ode to the baby Jesus. The point of all the merrymaking surrounding the galette des rois? A celebration of the Epiphany, or Three King's Day, a momentous feast day celebrated by Christians worldwide, and the preamble to the raucous festivities of Mardi Gras/Carnival, where king's cakes are consumed by the thousands. Even if you aren't an observant Catholic or the like, the cake is still delicious (and the baby makes it a fun gimmick for the lucky recipient). 

Pictured: the King's Cake (quickly) consumed by the SRQ staff.

Morton's Gourmet Market, 1924 South Osprey Ave., Sarasota, 941-955-9856.