I’ve long wondered how Universal Orlando chooses fanciful food items like Butterbeer crepes and more for its theme parks. Not all menu items are created the same way, but this year for the theme park’s popular Mardi Gras event, I learned they actually held a competition to get a slew of the chefs on staff involved. Who knew there was such a fun story about how Universal Studios’ fun new dessert came together?
Mardi Gras kicked off on February 7 at Universal Studios, and among the things you need to know about the festivities, there’s a food story about the 2026 festival that’s delightful. CinemaBlend was able to try some tasty morsels and talk to executive sous chef of research and development Chef Christopher Colòn about the latest iteration of the Mardi Gras menu in its 31st year. There’s really only one word you need to focus on, however: Flancocho.
