The History of Ginger and Gingerbread Houses!
The history of this gnarled root goes back more than 5000 years to when the Indians and ancient Chinese thought of it as a “tonic root for all ailments.”
Ginger’s migration can be traced from Asia to India to Rome and finally to Europe. Citizens of the Roman Empire consumed it in great quantities, but when Rome fell from power its use disappeared.
With Marco Polo’s travels to the Far East, ginger reappeared in Europe and became the most popular spice in wealthy households.
Medicinally, ginger was believed to soothe an upset stomach or prevent influenza (a common cold), and once again became the center of the spice trade.
In the 16th Century during the Middle Ages and the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, ginger was already available as a powder for use in various ways. Baking bread with the ginger powder mixed into the flour inhibited the growth of nasty molds and made the bread last longer.
During that time in the Middle Ages credit was given to the English Queen, who apparently made the first Gingerbread Man. It then became a custom of the ladies of the court to present gingerbread, an ornately decorated flat bread, to their favorite knights. Later a ginger candy was developed.
It took 200 years before breadcrumbs were added to the candy mixture that turned the flatbread into the sweet gingerbread we have today.
During the 17th and 18th centuries Catholic monks became the bakers of these flatbread gingerbreads using religious art motifs as decoration. Inspired by the monks, people began designing floral and geometric patterns to decorate their gingerbreads. As time went on bakeries adopted them into their business, and baking them in huge numbers for fairs and festivals.
When the cost of ginger decreased more people were able to purchase this spice and bake their own gingerbread.
Soon it became everyone’s favorite holiday cake.
Creative decorations, often highlighted with edible gold, gave these Gingerbread’s added importance. The elaborately decorated gingerbread, Lebkuchen found its popularity in 1614 at the first Christkindle Markt in Nurnberg, Germany.
People with artistic abilities used gingerbread to construct replicas of their churches and official buildings beginning the tradition of today’s gingerbread houses.
The candy decorated gingerbread house, or Knusperhauschen, as they are called in Austria, came into being with the folk tales of the Brothers Grimm and was brought to the United States by German Immigrants and in many homes they have become a family Christmas tradition.
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Contact….. Maria Reisz Springer….. if you woulod like to attend a Gingerbread House Workshop !
maria@majaskitchen.com
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