Hansel and Gretel come upon a house, a gingerbread house. The brother and sister are so hungry, and the house looks so delicious. They reach up and take a little bite out of the beautiful gingerbread.
"Nibble, nibble mousekin. Who's nibbling at my housekin?, " a voice calls out from within the candied home.
Gingerbread can even be found in opera! Engelbert Humperdinck interpreted the Brothers' Grimm fairytale with full voice and orchestral accompaniment in the late 1800's. Gingerbread has never been the same since.....
Gingerbread originates in Western Europe with England, France, and Germany claiming distinct gingerbread histories. Nuremberg, Germany, however, takes the cake (pun absolutely intended). Often referred to as the "gingerbread capital of the world," the Nuremberg's gingerbread was baked exclusively by its exclusive guild of bakers, Lebkuchler. The guild was famous for gilding its gingerbread with icing and gold paint.
Lebkuchler gingerbread was and is sweetened with honey. The British often use syrup or brown sugar while North American gingerbread gets its unique flavor with the native molasses.
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