A wonderful holiday tradition, the act of making gingerbread is both creative as well as tasty. But where did it all come from? How did we ever arrive at cooking gingerbread and why during Christmas? Today, we will be discussing the origins of gingerbread and the cookie that would sooner come from it.
Why is gingerbread called gingerbread?
The term gingerbread is an old french word, which actually means “preserved ginger”. The root was first cultivated in ancient China and was eventually discovered that it helped to preserve both flour and meat. Because of this, ginger was baked into little crisps, that eventually became cookies in Western Europe. These cookies or “fairings” as they would be called at the time, grew wide popularity at fairs, hence the name. Many fairings were decorated with gilded edges and would be the foundation of what would today be known as the gingerbread cookie.
Who invented gingerbread house?
gingerbread ?
The actual inventor is largely unknown as gingerbread constructions can be found as far back as ancient Greece and even further in China, but for the Europeans and North America, the practice of making gingerbread houses originates in Germany during the 1800’s. As gingerbread was already used to make different forms of art, German bakers took this to the next step, basing their creation off a very popular fairy tale from the Brothers Grimm, “Hansel and Gretel” where two children are abandoned in a forest before discovering an edible house made of bread and sugar. Bakers took descriptions of this house from the story and began approximating their own take on a The actual inventor is largely unknown as gingerbread constructions can be found as far back as ancient Greece and even further in China, but for the Europeans and North America, the practice of making gingerbread houses originates in Germany during the 1800’s. As gingerbread was already used to make different forms of art, German bakers took this to the next step, basing their creation off a very popular fairy tale from the Brothers Grimm, “Hansel and Gretel” where two children are abandoned in a forest before discovering an edible house made of bread and sugar. Bakers took descriptions of this house from the story and began approximating their own take on a gingerbread house. This would be most popular during christmas, as it was common place tradition to consume ginger snap cookies around this time as well.
How were gingerbread cookies incorporated into Christmas?
Gingersnap cookies have always been associated with the spirit of Christmas, and as such, it was highly popular to bake a large assortment of ginger products during Christmas. And since Christmas is a widely important time in Germany, the practice would become synonymous with Christmas itself.
Whether you are celebrating the holidays or just looking for a fun activity to express your creativity, gingerbread cookies are the perfect way to spend your time. So go create a delicious memory today and make a gingerbread cookie.
