Rich history baked into gingerbread
Move over pumpkin spice: it’s gingerbread season. These facts — and the gingerbread biscotti recipe that follows — are from McCormick & Co.
Now Trending: More than 3 million ounces of ground ginger are sold during the holiday season. That’s enough to produce 450 million (5-inch) gingerbread men. An army of sweetly spiced lads this size will circle the Earth nearly one and a half times!
Origin: After ginger was introduced to Europe in the 11th century, monks began to experiment with the spice, creating cakes pressed into molds. Originally served during special holidays and festivals, the popularity of gingerbread eventually grew in Europe.
Claim to Fame: During the late 16th century, Queen Elizabeth I honored guests by presenting them with their portraits in gingerbread.
The Man: “The Gingerbread Man” dates all the way back to the 1800s.
The Myth: Gingerbread houses were actually inspired by the Brothers Grimm story, Hansel and Gretel. The story along with gingerbread’s popularity, brought about the tradition of making and decorating gingerbread houses, starting in Germany. The recipe for gingerbread finally was spread to the U.S. by settlers in the 19th century, around the time when the tradition of making gingerbread men started. The Legend: The Guinness World Record holder for largest gingerbread house is in Bryan, Texas. The house was 60 feet long, 42 feet wide and over 10 feet tall at its peak—measuring out to a little over 39,201 cubic feet, in total. Visitors were greeted by Santa in exchange for a donation to St Joseph’s Hospital.
Around the World: In Germany, gingerbread cookies are called Lebkuchen, which was once used as currency to pay taxes. In Sweden, tradition requires Swedes to place a gingerbread thin, or “pepparkakor,” in the palm of their hand while making a wish, tapping the cookie with a finger from their free hand in hopes of breaking it into thirds. If the cookie breaks into three pieces, the wish is believed to be granted.