Gingerbread

Gingerbread, also Lebzelten, pepper, spice or honey cake, is a sweet, strong flavored, preserved pastry goods, which occurs in many forms and variations. In many cultures it is an integral part of the Christmas cookies, a few varieties are especially at fairs and festivals throughout the year also popular. The bakers are Gingerbread to the dry baked goods.

The Gingerbread production has a long tradition and is in many places part of the local culture of baking, of which several protected designations of origin for regional gingerbread specialties evidence such as Nürnberger Lebkuchen, Aachener Printe or Pulsnitzer cake. Previously, the manufacturer of gingerbread were often a different craft than the other baker, they called themselves gingerbread makers Lebküchler or Lebküchner - expressions that are still often used by bakers who specializes in gingerbread.

• 4.1 Gingerbread
• 4.2 gingerbread houses
• 4.3 German Lebkuchen specialties
• 4.4 Gingerbread in Russia
• 4.5 Gingerbread in the Alps
• 4.6 Other European Gingerbread variants
• 4.7 sauces Gingerbread

Description

It is characteristic of all gingerbread that they contain a lot of sweetener ( traditionally honey), but water, milk and fat are little or not at all added. The dry and sugar rich texture gives quite a long shelf life. Quite typical feature is also that they are flavored strong, so that they taste a total of exceptionally strong and sweet. Typical gingerbread spices are anise, fennel, ginger, cardamom, coriander, mace, nutmeg, cloves, allspice and cinnamon. The spice trade leads and ready-mixed gingerbread spices for industry, handicrafts and household.

The chemical relaxation of the dough is a tradition at Gingerbread, and indeed are the classic loosening agent potash and sal - sal is the Gingerbread typical for the leavening flavor, potash, however, is rather tasteless, drives the dough but only in width and is therefore not as taken only leavening agent. The manufacturers have now often converted to baking powder or soda, not least because Hirschhornsalz leads to a high acrylamide content in the finished pastry.

The German Food Code is the general business practice in Germany again for various types of gingerbread and qualities. This minimum proportions of sugars and oil seeds and other criteria are defined, including the requirement to cover certain types of gingerbread with chocolate and not with chocolate glaze. These guidelines have no legal force, but are ( of course very relevant ) guidance for product identification in the goods.

There are two fundamentally different types of gingerbread: Brown gingerbread to bake from malleable dough with a high proportion of flour, these include ginger nuts, Spitz cakes, gingerbread, many form of baked goods like gingerbread hearts and the like. Oblatenlebkuchen are made from a soft, flour poor or even flour -free mass, which is sprayed onto wafers, so they are close relatives of macaroons.

Brown gingerbread

Brown gingerbread are made ​​of a kneadable dough ( partly starch) and honey or other sweeteners thick liquid consists mainly of flour. There are also still mostly eggs, on the other hand is largely dispensed with water or milk and fat. To refine by giving the dough as almonds, walnuts or Kandisstücke.

In the water and low-fat pastry flour hardly swells and forms no glue, normal sugar would crystallize quickly. For this reason, only thick to creamy sweeteners come into question, which hold together the dough and make sure that it stays juicy and does not become hard and brittle. The traditional sweetener has been and honey. Only since the invention of artificial honey (ie invert sugar ), glucose syrup and other sugars with high Invertzuckeranteil can be replaced in this grade, in whole or in part, the honey, and this still happens. But just when baking in the household is continuing as usual, honey, invert sugar especially in the retail sector is rarely available. As flour glue rather weak wheat flour, but also rye flour or a mixture of the question. Wholemeal gingerbread are uncommon, but available.

It is customary to pass the dough for gingerbread brown as so-called Lagerteig. Here is the dough without leavening, spices and eggs - essentially, the mixture of flour and honey / sweeteners - and stored in closed containers for several days, weeks or even months cool. During this time, naturally present in the dough lactic acid bacteria build to a small degree on the luxuriant existing sugar and convert it (including lactic acid ) in various acids. This improves on the one hand the flavor, on the other hand allows the use of potash and soda as a leavening agent without further addition of acid ( ie they work only in an acidic environment ).

The finished dough is shaped by molding him free, cuts, rolls out and trumps with shapes, pressed into molds or poured into loaf pans. The pastries are often filled, for example, jam or marzipan, and is sprinkled, covered with chocolate or icing and decorated.

Of the species of brown gingerbread biscuits are a few examples:

• Printe: Rectangular, flat gingerbread with Kandisstückchen, available as hard and soft gingerbread. Particularly well-known ( and especially protected) are Aachener Printe.
• Breakfast Cake: In the box shape baked, high, loose loaves, partly covered with candy, especially from Holland known (Dutch Ontbijtkoek ).
• Dominoes: A candy (sometimes found to be " layer chocolate " ) with jelly and marzipan or persipan on a gingerbread floor.
• Basler Läckerli: Sliced ​​gingerbread from the plate with candied fruit and characteristic icing.
• St. Gallen and Appenzell Biber: Soft, juicy particles with marzipan filling.

Gingerbread is a popular material for Gebildbrot; common forms are stars, hearts, male, horses and the like, and of course the ingredients of gingerbread houses.

The German Food Code formulated for some variants of the brown gingerbread special requirements, including honey cake, dominos, gingerbread and spitzkuchen, sometimes even just in the three levels of quality, fine and very fine.

Oblatenlebkuchen

Oblatenlebkuchen arise from a shapable mass consisting mostly of sugar and more or less strongly crushed almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts or other oil seeds or almond paste, or according to other pastes. Flour and starch, however, make the smaller part of - the lower the proportion of flour, the higher the quality of the gingerbread. These come in a smaller number of eggs, water and edible fat is more consistently omitted as the brown gingerbread. One can Oblatenlebkuchen also wholly or partially with honey, invert sugar and other viscous sugars sweet, but in contrast to the brown gingerbread that is unnecessary: Due to the lower proportion of flour and the oil-rich almonds and nuts, the crumb is not even hard if you mainly granulated sugar admits, what happens usually.

The mass for Oblatenlebkuchen is therefore the Makronenmasse very similar and is also similar to those produced, trained and baked. Upon mixing of oil seeds, sugar and egg they will, if necessary, heated (fachsprachlich: " roasted "). The final mass is portioned with the pastry bag or otherwise on wafers and bake gingerbread at 180 ° C. They can be decorated with almonds, candied lemon or orange peel, and after baking they can optionally get a coating of chocolate or icing. Shapes other than circular or square pieces are in principle conceivable, of course, but rarely found in stores.

Oblatenlebkuchen are less diverse in contrast to brown gingerbread; There are two varieties mainly:

• Oblatenlebkuchen, the typical basic form.
• White Lebkuchen with a high Eianteil, only rectangular and without glaze.

In addition, the German Food Code knows a whole series of distinctions that relate to the exact composition, and in particular the shares of certain oilseeds, and certain quality levels define: Simple, fine and very fine Oblatenlebkuchen, hazelnut, walnut and walnut gingerbread and almond, marzipan or Makronenlebkuchen. The well-known name Elisenlebkuchen is a synonym for the finest Oblatenlebkuchen - this is the highest level of quality for which the food book at least 25% almonds, hazelnuts or walnuts calls and the absence of other oilseeds and a maximum content of 10 % flour or 7.5 % starch or " an appropriate mixture ". With chocolates confused coatings - this formulation is aimed primarily at containing cocoa icing - prohibits the Food Code for Oblatenlebkuchen categorically.

Designations

As with many kitchen concepts also exist in the German gingerbread various regional names. In the south, west and north of Germany, the term dominates gingerbread. In South and West German regions, but also find the names Labekuchen, leak cake or food cake. In parts of Bavaria and Baden- Württemberg Magenbrot is used as a synonym for Gingerbread, although so generally a different type of pastry is called. In eastern Germany the term gingerbread is predominant.

The exact origin and meaning of the word gingerbread, research is not unanimous. Thus, the term gingerbread 've According to one reading nothing to do with the word of life, as the word probably from Latin libum ( " cakes ", " victim cake " ) is descended. According to another interpretation of the etymological origin of the word comes from the Germanic word Laib on what " loaf " means. The term gingerbread goes back to the Middle Ages, when the exotic spices that are an integral part of the pastry, were generally referred to as pepper (at that time was known as " hot pepper " if any more cubeb pepper in trade and use, not the black pepper). Gingerbread Even the English and French names or pain d' épices " ginger bread " or " spice bread " point to the importance of oriental ingredients. The name honey cake has a further characteristic flavoring ingredient of the pastry out ( until about the year 1800, when the cultivation of sugar beets became customary was sugar from sugar cane for ordinary citizens prohibitive ).

History

The first written evidence of small spiced honey cake originated around 350 BC, but already the ancient Egyptians have known honiggesüßte cake, as we know from grave goods. The Romans knew the panis mellitus: Honey was spread on a cake, then mitgebacken with the cake. Unlike today, the gingerbread was not only eaten at Christmas time, but also for Easter or other times. The gingerbread were a part of the fast food and were served, for example, to strong beer.

The Gingerbread in the form still known today was originally invented in Dinant, then taken over by the people of Aachen and modified (see Aachener Printe ) and finally taken over by the Frankish monasteries and again slightly modified. The nuns put the pastry for dessert ago. As a " gingerbread " is mentioned in 1296 in Ulm. In the 14th century, the gingerbread is known in and around Nuremberg, where he was baked in monasteries of men. The Nuremberg gingerbread has its origin in the nearby monastery in Heilsbronn. Gingerbread was popular because of its long shelf life, because it was stored and was distributed in bad times by the monks.

As for the production of rare spices were needed from distant countries, especially cities on major trading hubs have a long tradition of gingerbread. Except Nuremberg and Pulsnitz belonged to Augsburg, Ulm, Cologne and Basel. In Munich, a " gingerbread maker " is already listed in the 1370 tax list, so a gingerbread baker. While in Munich, the pastry was gouged with shapes and decorated with colored sugar, decorated to the Nuremberg cake with almonds or candied lemon peel.

The Toruń gingerbread, also known as Thorn paving stones, from the West Prussian city of Thorn ( since 1919 Toruń, Poland), who carried the nickname Kathrinchen to the monastery of St. Catherine of Alexandria or the Neisser confectionery, also Neisser gingerbread were commonly known, from Neisse in Silesia, which is occupied from the 16th century.

Gingerbread ( Middle High German Lebkuoche ) were in the monastery bakeries where you already anfertigte communion wafers, also baked on wafers. In southern Germany and Austria was called the flat cake Tents ( n ) and thus the baker gingerbread maker. The Lebküchler or gingerbread maker were united in guilds.

The advent of baking powder end of the 19th century also had an influence on the development of gingerbread. The baking soda was the spicy batter drive up. This produced many pastries variants that are further away in taste and texture to the part close to the part from the original gingerbread, such as numerous honey or spice cake variants.

International variations

Today Gingerbread applies in its different regional names and variations often than the classic pastries at Christmas time. It is available with or without chocolate coating, with more or less nuts, almonds, jam filling, etc.

Gingerbread

Gingerbread, Gingerbread so that are cut or pressed into shape, it has been around since the 15th century. They are traditionally decorated with religious motifs, and later secular images came on. These Gingerbread are now widely used internationally and not just for Christmas popular: Fairly well known are the decorated with frosting gingerbread hearts that are offered on public festivals and markets, but also at Christmas markets at the stands of a baker. Among the internationally known Gingerbread the spread in the English-speaking world " Gingerbread Man" as a simplified human form with no hands and feet part. In Sweden there are " pepparkakor " in Finland " piparkaku " t, in Russia " северные козули " ( " Northern kosuljas "), which is believed to bring luck and fortune to its recipient.

Gingerbread houses

From Gingerbread is also known as the gingerbread house, popularly referred to as Gingerbread or witch house, built, which go back to the fairy tale of Hansel and Gretel. These gingerbread houses are spread not only in German speaking countries, but are also produced in Eastern Europe, in Scandinavia and in the English-speaking world.

German Lebkuchen specialties

Some of the German Lebkuchen specialties are known worldwide as the Nuremberg gingerbread and the Aachener Printe. Other regional variations are Rosner gingerbread forest Assen, the Bentheim Moppen that Pulsnitzer cakes, confectionery and Neisser Mecklenburg pepper nuts.

Gingerbread in Russia

The Russian version of gingerbread, Prjaniki, (Russian Пряники plural, singular Пряник " Prjanik ") are baked from wheat flour, sugar, margarine, butter, oil, water, milk and salt. Honey and spices can be added. The pastry is often served to the Russian tea.

In the city of Tula Prjaniki be baked in a variety of forms and flavors, at least since the 17th century. Today there is a Gingerbread Museum, where visitors can taste freshly baked Prjaniki.

Gingerbread in the Alps

In Switzerland, Christmas Gingerbread Men are widespread. On a gingerbread piece a paper Santa Claus is stuck with gum arabic. This tradition dates back to the mid 19th century. International prominence Basler Treats and Biberli.

In Austria, " Lebzelten " in a similar variety common as in Germany. Traditionally away ( about 20-30 cm in diameter) in the spring large gingerbread heart on Liebstattsonntag in Gmunden (Upper Austria ). Depending on the locations of various long-established Gingerbread manufactories there are regional gingerbread specialties: Mariazell gingerbread from the pilgrimage site of Mariazell (since 1860), Ischler gingerbread from Bad Ischl ( since 1848 ), Ausseer gingerbread from Bad Aussee (since 1584), the gingerbread Kastner Bad Leonfelden ( since 1559 ) and the St. Wofganger Lebzelten (since 1520).

Other European Gingerbread variants

Other European countries have their own gingerbread specialties with a long tradition. These include gingerbread from Dijon, France, the Danish Christian field or Thorner Kathrinchen from the Polish since 1919 Toruń. Particularly rich decorated with icing are the gingerbread figures and houses from the Czech town of Pardubice.

Sauces Gingerbread

A fairly easy Lebkuchenart is the cake sauces or sauces Gingerbread, which is used in some parts of Germany throughout the year in the kitchen for the preparation of sauces.

Others

• The museum Old Pfefferküchlerei in White Mountains, Saxony, shows the craft of gingerbread making.
• On 5 December 2003, the largest gingerbread in the world was produced in Esslingen am Neckar. He formed a figure by Nicholas and was 10 meters long and 4 meters wide. Were required to, among other things 350 kg of flour, 180 kg and 8 kg syrup gingerbread spices. Decorated with marzipan and sugar icing ( fondant ) weighed 650 kg of gingerbread.

Economic Importance

Sales of gingerbread in Germany has steadily declined in the period 2009 to 2012. 2009 102.500 tons were still in production in 2012 there were only 80,200 tons, which represents a decrease of almost 22 percent. Foreign trade remained virtually unchanged over the same period, however. 2012 were 13,100 tons of Gingerbread running ( 3,400 tons to Austria ), while 4,500 tons were imported.