I see a lot of weird things at the grocery store: odd foods, strange people, kumquats. But, today, I honestly had to look at this box two or three times before I could comprehend what I was reading.
Near the front register, there is normally a table with some baked goods - sweets mostly. I’m guessing the store puts them there thinking people standing in line might be tempted. Probably a pretty good strategy. Today, there were a number of Mardis Gras “King” cakes stacked up on the table. I had no idea what the hell King cakes were, but I assumed they had something to do with Martis Gras given the hideous colors used for the icing.
As I approached the table, I noticed a large warning label on the side of the box that said the following:
Caution! Choking Hazard. Non-Edible Baby Inside.
I must’ve read that 10 times trying to wrap my brain around the statment. So many questions flew threw my mind. A couple others standing in line saw me staring perplexed and noticed the warning themselves. We all found this extremely amusing. With all the questions popping up for me, I realized that there were three that were most vexing.
1. What kind of cake has a non-edible baby in it?
2. Why would the warning say “baby” when it is just a small plastic figurine? Why not just say, “small plastic figurine?”
and most importantly…
3. If this cake has a non-edible baby, does that mean there is a cake that has an edible baby???
Apparently, this is part of the Mardis Gras tradition right along with flashing your boobs for beeds and drinking multi-colored substances until you puke off of your balcony. So, next time you decide to get a cake, make sure and ask for the one without the non-edible baby. Personally, I’d make sure there wasn’t an edible baby in there either, but that’s just me. I’m a fussy eater.
(sadly, my cameraphone was at home or you KNOW I’d have a photo)
The non-edible baby thing goes way back in Cajun and Mardi Gras tradition. Imagine the jolt our family got when we moved here from northern Oklahoma and encountered such things!!! I bet one could crack the hell out of a tooth if that hidden child was bitten. I personally was never a fan of King Cake preferring momma’s lucious, rich homemade chocolate cake.
I can’t believe you didn’t know what a King Cake was; I had a co-worker that brought them in every year, and they were quite yummy. Fortunately, I never ended up with the non-edible baby.