From historic Egypt to France: origins of the gingerbread
To search out traces of the first gingerbreads, we now have to return to Antiquity. Many 1000’s of years in the past, the Greeks had been already consuming a bread made with flour and honey referred to as ‘melitounta’. This recipe was additionally ready by the Egyptians and Romans. However at the moment, the spices weren’t used, as that they had not but been launched to the West.
In reality, it was in China, just a few centuries later, that the true origins of right now’s gingerbread had been born. Within the tenth century, troopers ate ‘Mi-Kong’, a honey bread flavoured with fragrant herbs.
Later, the recipe unfold so far as the Arabian Peninsula. Europeans, nevertheless, needed to wait till the Crusades to take this treasured bread again with them, together with the well-known oriental spices. Cinnamon, cloves, ginger… They provide new potentialities for unique pastries.
Gingerbread man – Maison Kamm
The recipe was first adopted by a number of cities in Germany, earlier than spreading to the remainder of Europe due to the Cistercian monks. It is very important do not forget that on the time, spices had been extraordinarily costly. Gingerbread was subsequently seen as a luxurious product, primarily appreciated by the the Aristocracy. Making gingerbread then grew to become a occupation in itself, and gingerbread makers arrange outlets in Reims, Alsace or Dijon. You may make the recipe your personal and create your personal mix of spices. It’s also possible to add citrus peel, almonds, pistachios or jam…
Nonnettes (Maison Hubert), a gingerbread speciality from Burgundy (France)
Gingerbread, the star of the Christmas festivities
Little doubt about it, the cinnamon and ginger aromas in gingerbread are harking back to the Christmas recipes! The Alsatian monks had already acquired into the behavior of consuming this gourmand pleasure at this era of the 12 months, however Christmas gingerbread is assumed to have turn out to be a real custom from the fifteenth century. At the moment, the hospital of Strasbourg determined to distribute a gingerbread to every leprosy affected person for Christmas.
Christmas gingerbreads and biscuits – Maison Gilg
Since then, the custom has continued due to St Nicholas, patron saint of schoolchildren, who brings gingerbread to the youngsters each 6 December. In Alsace, gingerbread has turn out to be an actual establishment. The small city of Gertwiller is taken into account to be the cradle of manufacturing of this scrumptious honey bread. The city even has a museum devoted totally to gingerbread.
Christmas stars – Maison Jacques
These days, essentially the most famend pastry cooks consistently compete in creativity to modernise the ancestral gingerbread recipe and shock our style buds with much more refined flavours.
However the renown of this honey cake goes past France’s borders. In Poland, for instance, the annual Świeto Piernika pageant, devoted to gingerbread, is organised within the city of Toruń. Furthermore, this fluffy dessert can be celebrated by many competitions world wide. Gingerbread homes and gingerbread males are recurrently honoured in Sweden, Croatia and even the US.
Gingerbread hearts – Maison Rebert
Leckerlis – Maison Mulhaupt
LES RECETTES DES CHEFS RELAIS DESSERTS :
– Christmas star by Michel Bannwarth
– Gingerbread hearts by Daniel Rebert
– Nonettes by Pierre Hubert
– Chocolate and gingerbread spices cake by Florian Koeller
