It is believed that the word "gingerbread" evolved from the Old Polish "gingerbread", signifying something peppery. Although today Toruń is considered the Polish capital of gingerbread, the first guild of gingerbread makers was founded in. medieval Cracow! Initiallyóin this aromatic baked goods, however, you need to look much earlier than in the Old Polish story. Where did the tradition of baking gingerbread come from and why today we associate it mainlyównie with Christmas?
Recipe, whichóra has survived the centuries
It turns out that the gingerbread known today was not the product of Torun bakers, but ancient amateursóin culinariów. Back in the day, it was popular to bake honeybread, varied by someówith added pepper or spices. The recipe created in this way was preserved thanks to monks and then bakers' guilds. By addition "spicy" spices the dough was called "gingerbread" (peppery), which was later replaced by the word known today "gingerbread".
One of the first mentions of gingerbread as a Christmas baked good appears in the context of the "katarzynki". This famous gingerbread was considered a holiday bread back in the old days, kneaded and baked since St. Patrick's Day. In the run-up to St. Catherine's Day. There are many legends about the origins of this type of baking, and the country's most famous writers (including Herbert and Hoffmann) dwell on it in their works. The fact is, however, that peppery honeycake has made its way onto the Christmas tables of polaków already centuries ago.
Christmas and gingerbread baked goods
Today, gingerbread mass is used to bake multi-shaped cookies, aromatic cakes and even. gingerbread huts. Root cake has become a part of the Christmas tradition for good, serving as a table decorationóin, or Christmas trees. According to Zygmunt Gloger, author of the "Old Polish Encyclopedia" custom of preparing gingerbreadów on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day already existed in old Polish homes, when they were baked most abundantly and served not only as an after-dinner delicacy, but also as an appetizer to wódki. It is difficult to expect today's gingerbread to fully reflect the taste known in the Middle Ages, but the recipes are based on what is most important for this cake. Among other things, housewives use honey or spices according to traditional recipes, resulting in a unique aroma of baked goods. For many, it is an integral part of the preparations for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day!
