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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: Southern Baking

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

ORAL HISTORY

Shane Castille

Thee Heavenly Doughnut

Shane and Kara Castille both grew up outside of Lafayette, Louisiana. Born in New Iberia, Shane moved to Baton Rouge in his twenties, where he met Kara at her mother’s doughnut shop. After marrying into the family business, he eventually picked up the doughnut trade. Shane is now a veteran of several Mardi Gras seasons and hundreds of early mornings spent turning out king cakes and doughnuts.

Thee Heavenly Doughnut’s Mardi Gras offerings include their version of the fried king cake originally invented at Meche’s Doughnut King, a popular Acadiana doughnut chain. They also make an adaptation of the boudin king cake invented by Dr. Robert Carriker of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Shane and Kara also pride themselves on selling over thirty different king cake varieties, a list which Kara aims to expand with new inventions each Mardi Gras season. Thee Heavenly Doughnut king cakes are also available to order year–round.

Date of interview:
2022-04-05

Interviewer:
Phillip Norman

Photographer:
Emily R. Williams

Download Transcript

“

"Sometimes you forget how popular you are in Baton Rouge, and then you'll see it. Like somebody was saying the other day, 'Oh, they were talkin' about you on the news.' There was some disaster and people were going out and feeding 'em. And they said, 'What would you send?' One of the [newscasters], she said, 'Oh, I would bring king cake.' He said, 'Oh, okay. Whose king cake would you bring?' And the two ladies looked at each other and said, 'Thee Heavenly Donut.'" - Shane Castille

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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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