Gingerbread - A short history

Our Gingerbread House Workshop carries on a long European tradition. In 992 the Armenian monk Gregory of Nicopolis started teaching French priests the art of baking with the exotic spice ginger. At first it was used for easing indigestion and religious ceremonies. As the spice became more available, it was discovered ginger had a preservative quality for pastries and cakes. An early European recipe created a paste which was pressed into carved wooden molds. Originally these were like story boards which told through pictures the news of the day. Or they may have reflected the likeness of the ruling royals or been religious symbols (like the one above). Then the finished hard “cookie” might have been iced to bring out the details in the relief. In the 1500s, the English altered the recipe and created a lighter product. Crumbled, it was added to meat to cover up the decaying smell. Queen Elizabeth I is credited with creating the first gingerbread man when she presented some visiting dignitaries with gingerbread biscuits in their likeness.
Gingerbread soon became a popular treat at fairs where "biscuits" were sold in all shapes and sizes.

In the 1600s Germany became famous for its softer & puffier Lebkuchen gingerbread. Nuremburg produced such a high quality product that it was used as currency for paying taxes. The Brothers Grimm fairy tale, Hansel & Gretel, inspired the Germans to take large slabs of lebkuchen decorated with sweets and create hexenhaeusle, “witch’s house” or Knusperhaeuschen, “houses for nibbling at”. These houses were often built over the Christmas holidays and eaten at New Year. Immigrantes brought gingerbread and its building tradition to America. Today, the USA has the largest variety of gingerbread recipes in the world. And the Gingerbread house continues on being a Christmas tradition. Enjoy!