I have always loved the flavor of Lebkuchen and gingerbreads something fierce. I can start while watching a movie and eat a plate full by the time the bad guy is caught. I also love to read about it.

There is so much history behind this little cookie, bar or cake that taste similar to Gingerbread.
I can only give a few tidbits that I think you will enjoy.

How did it become so popular?
Lebkuchen or Gingerbread type cookies became popular in the old world because it is believed that ginger was a natural preservative.

Gingerbread then became popular to make into shapes to take on a hunt, journey or out to sea. So the idea spread quickly to other countries. Honey and spices were always associated with something almost sacred. A honey cake was believed to bring good luck. Soldiers sometimes would wear a honey cake into battle as a Talisman around his neck.

Old Nuremberg

Painting of Lebkuchen bakers

Lebkuchen were first baked in the city of Nuremberg, with the earliest records from the year 1395. During the Middle Ages, spice inspectors at the gates to the city checked the spices used for baking the gingerbreads which traveled as far as China. In 1643 the city of Nuremburg approved the first Lebkuchen Baker's Guild which began with 14 master gingerbread bakers who were bound by strict regulations.

Until 1867, Lebkuchen were made by hand. Automated processing started thereafter with the liberalization of Bavaria's commercial trade.However, many of Nuremburg's bakeries still produce some of their Lebkuchen specialties by hand. using traditional recipes passed down from generation to generation. The oldest gingerbread recipe from the 16th century is housed in the German National Museum in Munich. In 1996, Nuremburg gingerbread was declared a "protected geographical indication" and is authorized to use the EU stamp

Most of us of Germanic origin probably had a relative that was part of a Yulefest that sacrificed an animal as an offering to the gods that you would have an easy winter , and a good harvest. These were celebrated around this time of year, when it was cold.

Many families couldn't afford to sacrifice a needed farm animal so they would use a bread or cake shaped as an animals for a symbol. Other shapes like hearts and even people were popular also that had symbolic meaning. This is of course where our gingerbread men came from.

When Christianity came the Yulefests turned into Christmas but the festivals
were so much fun that they just kept them and turned pagan symbols into Religious symbols.

So many shapes of Lebkuchen are in animals and other symbols.

Even pictures are cut out and mounted on top of the lebkuchen.

Kaiserlein
These are Lebkuchen onto which a picture is drawn or imprinted.

Karen Kinanne bought me a Lebkuchen Santa made by Pahana Lebkuchen company, when she was in the Kristkindle market in Dresden. Just cut out your favorite Santa and out paste it on top of the cookie.

Here is an old hand written recipe for Lebkuchen believed to be
centuries old.

click to enlarge picture

Gingerbread Houses are believed to become popular after the German authors
The Grimm brothers wrote Hansel and Gretel .

A recipe book and short biography of my Grandmother Emma Block. Her recipes, culture and cooking styles that were brought over from Germany. How they evolved when she came to America in the early 1900s and settled in Portland, Oregon on the west coast of the United States. Over 100 recipes

Bonus Recipe CD with the Ebook and recipes with step by step pictures

To order the Cookbook with the CD

Order the Kindle Version

\

Biography of my grandma
Emma Block
From Germany with Love tells the story of my grandma, Emma Block, growing up in a little town in Baden/ Würtemberg, Germany near Heidelberg named Steinsfurt. Then at the age of 15 immigrating to the United States, taking a train with one of her sisters and brothers to Hamburg and sailing the Atlantic with other hope filled Germans wanting to make a life in the "New World". It was not easy but with good values learned in her German upbringing made a full life, had a wonderful family with lots of fun and celebration including the great German meals.

Order Here