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Gingerbread Men
by
J Gardener
Quick-picture the last gingerbread
house you saw, in your mind. Now, without thinking
about it, what was the season when you saw it?
Chances are, it was Christmas-time. Few treats
are as closely associated with Christmas as gingerbread,
and rarely do we see it, any other time of the
year-which is amazing, since your kids can't seem
to get enough of it, when it's offered.
As well, we seem to have it embedded in our cultural consciousness that gingerbread is somehow inherently English and Victorian. But the history of gingerbread goes back much further than nineteenth century Europe.
The word ginger probably comes from an ancient Sanskrit word-"sringavera"-which means "horn-shaped root". All ginger comes from a rhizome we call ginger root, native to Asia, but grown extensively today in Jamaica.
In ancient China, it was used as a medicine. In ancient Rome, it was used as a spice-and was heavily taxed. Ginger first became popular in Europe during the Middle Ages, probably brought in by returning Crusaders. Originally used as a spicy delicacy, the Europeans soon discovered ginger's preservative properties, and began treating their meat with it, as a way of preservation and a way of disguising the meat's odor, as it aged. As ginger became more widely used, it became more expensive, and was one of the most precious spices traded in Medieval Europe.
By the fifteenth century, Europeans relied heavily
on ginger and it was imported in large quantities,
bringing prices down a bit. Europeans also began
using ginger as a primary flavoring for cakes
and breads. Most countries developed unique gingerbread
recipes, which they showcased at the many gingerbread
"fairs", popular throughout the continent.
Eventually, gingerbread-making became a highly
respected profession in and of itself, completely
distinct from other bakery professions. In Germany,
England, and France, gingerbread bakers formed
their own guilds, similar to unions, and were
recognized by their respective governments.
Gingerbread cakes and cookies became associated
with many holidays, and were baked into shapes
relevant to special celebrations. The Germans
became famous for their shaped ginger creations.
Nuremberg became the unofficial ginger capital
of Europe, where artisans from other crafts-wood-cutters,
sculptors, etc.-fashioned elaborate molds used
by gingerbread bakers to make beautiful delicacies.
When the Brothers Grimm published their collections
of fairy tales, the witch's house in "Hansel &
Gretel' was described as a house of candies and
cakes, but German bakers began the tradition of
crafting "Hexenhaeusle", or witches' houses, a
tradition which led to the gingerbread houses
we know today.
American gingerbread makes use of maple syrup
and fewer spices in most recipes, lending a heavy
sweetness not found in most European brands.
Enjoy all the gingerbread you can, this season.
But remember, it's a wonderful confection that
tastes just as good in July as in December.
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