Fat Tuesday 2011: What People Are Feasting On for Mardi Gras

Lost in the glitz and glam of Mardi Gras is the true meaning behind Fat Tuesday. The idea behind Fat Tuesday is, in essence, to have one last gluttonous night out before the season of Lent -- the start of a 40-day fast in which there are food restrictions, depending on your cultural or religious background.

For example, in the UK they refer to the day before Lent as Pancake Day or Shrove Tuesday, because there are restrictions for eating sugar, fat and eggs during the fasting weeks. Hence, in the UK they eat pancakes the day before Lent to get their fill.

In Iceland they refer to this day as "Sprengidagur." This translates to "Bursting Day." On this day, the people of Iceland eat salted meats and peas until they get a full feeling, as if their stomachs are going to burst.

King cake, one of the many foods consumed on Fat Tuesday

Patrick Semansky, AP

King Cake is one of the many delicious foods eaten on Fat Tuesday each year.

The popular food to eat on Fat Tuesday is "king cake," which is more times than not a cinnamon roll style of cake with icing on the top. During the Mardi Gras season the icing is colored and sprinkled with the traditional Mardi Gras colors: green, purple and gold. The cake is named after the three biblical kings. During the Carnival season, many groups will throw weekly king cake parties. The cakes are traditionally fried and filled with anything from cream cheese to praline. As a tradition, many cakes came with a small plastic baby inside. Whoever got the piece of cake with the baby inside had to buy the next cake.

Kitchen Daily provides a recipe on how to make your very own king cake.

New Orleans is also famous for its Cajun and Creole foods. Foods such as gumbo or jambalaya are not considered traditional Mardi Gras foods, but they are foods which are heavily consumed by tourists in New Orleans throughout Mardi Gras week.

More on Mardi Gras:
Classic Mardi Gras Recipes
Mardi Gras 2011 Parade Schedule
Mardi Gras Celebrations [VIDEOS]
Fat Tuesday and Carnival Explained
Mardi Gras 2011 Pictures