by Jaroslav Imlauf

Gingerbread has brought its tradition already since the Middle Ages not only in Europe, but even in Czech countries. For example, there is a traditional Czech gingerbread made in Pardubice – it is called Pardubice’s gingerbread. Gingerbread is one of the oldest human meals. In ancient times gingerbread was mostly baked in monasteries, in houses and in castles as simple pastry. The first written notice about gingerbread craft comes from the 14th century. Later, from the 17th century, gingerbread paste turned better and better decorated, because there was a big competition. Because of that it was made in manufactures in a secret way and any manufacturer didn’t want to publish his recipes. Gingerbread forms even became very interesting artistic things and today they are in many museums. Till the end of the 18th century gingerbread was luxury goods. In the second half of the 19th century gingerbread craft slowly began to come down. Later on this tradition was refreshed, but not so much as before.
Today you can simply make gingerbread at home, the production is much simplier and faster. But the quality is not as good as it was in the past. For the make rather use packed mixture of spice, which can also loosen the dough. A very important component of gingerbread is liquid honey. The more honey the better gingerbread you make. Of course quantity and diversity of spices is important too. How much spices you will use depends on your appetite and fantasy. Which spice you can use: cinnamon, rose-apple, fennel, allspice, aniseed. For loosening you need baking powder, ammonium or cooking soda. Sort out powder and cooking soda to the flour, if you use ammonium, first dip it into the water and then sort it out to the dough. Use medium coarse flour for thick gingerbread, for little pastry use smooth flour, then add whole eggs and sugar. Nuts, currants, almond, lemon peel, cocoa, black coffee and various icings can be used to improve gingerbread dough, Dough divided in little piecies should lie for a long time. If you don’t use icing, smear gingerbread by mixed egg. Bake little pieces of gingerbread in a well- heated up oven, then let it lie for a few days in a cold and wet room. Bake thicker pieces of gingerbread slowly in a quite-heated up oven, so that „sharpener“ isn’t formed (badly bloated dough). And when is gingerbread baked? Mostly it is in special days in a year: when St. Nicolas comes, at Christmas and at Easter. In these days gingerbread is baked in many many forms.