The gingerbread is not only associated with the Christmas tree, its history can be linked to several cultures going back a long way in history.
Gingerbread and its various forms have a long history. The initial form of gingerbread can be traced back to ancient Greek and Egyptian cultures, where it was used for various religious ceremonies. In the Roman era, gingerbread was always included in the supplies of soldiers, because thanks to its valuable ingredients, even a small portion provided soldiers with stamina.
It appeared in medieval Europe in the 11th century, when the Crusaders brought ginger from the Middle East to the chefs of the nobility. As ginger and other spices became available, gingerbread began to spread. An early European gingerbread recipe consisted of ground almonds, breadcrumbs, rose water, ginger and, of course, honey.
The gingerbread dough was then pressed into wooden molds. Current events, rulers or religious symbols were often carved into these artistically carved gingerbread shapes. The finished cake was sometimes decorated with edible gold paint for those who could afford it, or given a white glaze to highlight the printed design.
In the 16th century, breadcrumbs were replaced with flour and eggs, sugar or honey were added, resulting in a softer dough.
Gingerbread nowadays:
Gingerbread is a dessert made with cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and anise, usually sweetened with honey.
There are several special gingerbreads that people traditionally surprise each other with on various important occasions throughout the year, for example:
- Polish pierniczki
- the Czech pernik
- the Russian pryaniki
If you are interested in the exciting history of gingerbread, you should definitely try our special gingerbread . Using 9 types of spices, lemon oil and cold-pressed sunflower oil, we continue the gingerbread story.
Click on the text to learn about our special gingerbread cookies!
