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Summer 2026—February 2027
2026 SFA Film Residency, with multi-city in-person experiences and monthly virtual workshops ⟶

Oral Histories

The SFA oral history program documents life stories from the American South. Collecting these stories, we honor the people whose labor defines the region. If you would like to contribute to SFA’s oral history collections, please send your ideas for oral history along with your CV or Resume and a portfolio of prior oral history work to info@southernfoodways.org.

< Back to Oral History project: Parish Epiphany: King Cake Bakers of South Louisiana

ORAL HISTORY

Melodie Reay

Rösch Bakehaus

Before relocating to Los Angeles, California, Melodie helmed a highly–popular cottage bakery, Rösch Bakehaus, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Rösch was founded by her partner, Jim Osborne IV, after a trip to Germany that inspired him to chase the perfect pretzel recipe. When the two met, Melodie joined Jim in the baking business, eventually taking over the reins when he decided to move on.

Melodie initially came to Baton Rouge as a student of the Ceramics Program at Louisiana State University’s College of Art + Design. A native of Burnaby, British Columbia, she was swept up in Louisiana culture. Traveling frequently to Lafayette and New Orleans, she steeped herself in the region’s rich culinary, musical, and festival traditions. She captured impressions of her new environment through her work with clay, while she developed unique takes on the Mardi Gras king cake through her baking. Melodie’s king cakes are distinguished by their imaginative flavor combinations, and often feature a handmade ceramic fève.

Date of interview:
2022-05-17

Interviewer:
Phillip Norman

Photographer:
Jim Osborne IV

Download Transcript

“

"Both [clay and dough] are political in a way. Just the choice to do the slow, harder thing for less profit and try to bring more of that into the world. That’s just sort of a small effort that, as hokey as this sounds, makes the world better. It’s just better for people, it’s better for the earth. The less efficient way to do things I think is oftentimes the best way to do things." - Melodie Reay

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Linh Garza

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Isaac Fort

Isaac Fort is the pastry chef at Poupart’s in Lafayette, Louisiana.

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Norma Castillo

Norma Castillo is the founder of Norma’s International Foods, a popular Latin grocery store in Kenner, Louisiana, with a sister location, Norma’s Sweets Bakery, in New Orleans.

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José Castillo

José Castillo is one of the owner-operators of Norma’s Sweets Bakery in New Orleans.

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Kirby Jones

Kirby Jones owns and operates La Vie En Rose Café in New Orleans’ Lower Garden District.

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Robert Carriker

Robert Carriker is a professor of history at University of Louisiana at Lafayette and a public historian focusing on Louisiana food cultures.

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Shane Castille

Shane Castille is the owner/operator of Thee Heavenly Doughnut in Baton Rouge, a local chain founded by his wife Kara and her mother, Catherine Estillete.

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Moeko Glynn

Moeko Glynn operates Maru Bread Company, a bakery specializing in sourdough, out of her home in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

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The Southern Foodways Alliance drives a more progressive future by leading conversations that challenge existing constructs, shape perspectives, and foster meaningful discussions. We reconsider the past with research, scrutiny, and documentation.

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