For those not familiar with what a gingerbread house is, a gingerbread house is a kind of unique confectionery made of cookie dough in the shape of a building. Commonly, a baker may use a crisp ginger biscuit made of gingerbread (the ginger nut). A baker may also use a boiled dough, which will be moulded like clay to create edible statuettes or any other decorations. So far, houses like these, having various candies and icing, have become popular Christmas decorations.
Now, let’s look at a brief history of gingerbread. It is believed that gingerbread was first baked in Europe around the 11th century. Certain crusaders were said to have brought back the custom of spicy bread from the Middle East. At this time, ginger was mainly used as preservative for the bread.
According to a French legend, gingerbread was introduced into Europe in 992 by the Armenian monk, Gregory Makar, Gregory of Nicopolis. In Bondaroy, France, the monk taught priests and other Christians how to make gingerbread.
Nevertheless, the common gingerbread is said to be from Medieval European culinary. This was also moulded into different shapes by monks in Franconia, Germany in the 13th century. In fact, this was a common thing in Nuremberg, Germany so much that in the 1600s, some skilled bakers and other individuals were employed to create complex works of art from gingerbread; therefore, Nuremberg became recognized as the “Gingerbread Capital of the World”.
It was common for medieval bakers to use carved boards when creating ostentatious designs. In the 13th century, this custom spread throughout Europe. German immigrants were known to have taken it to Sweden in this century. In Sweden, in 1444, the Vadstena Abbey of Swedish, nuns were said to have baked gingerbread to relieve indigestion.
Nevertheless, the first documented figure-shaped gingerbread biscuits can be traced to the court of Elizabeth I of England. It was said that she had gingerbread figures made in the likeness of some of her topmost guests.
In the early 1800s, the tradition of making decorated gingerbread houses began a phenomenon in Germany. It is said that the first gingerbread houses were from the well-known Grimm’s fairy tale “Hansel and Gretel”. In this tale, two children abandoned in the forest discovered an edible house made of bread with sugar decorations. After the publication of the book, German bakers began baking ornate fairy-tale houses of gingerbread. Eventually, it became a popular Christmas tradition, which was introduced to America by Pennsylvanian German immigrants.
At this point, it is important to note that people are breaking records by making gingerbread houses. A group in Texas, USA, broke the Guinness World Record in 2013 for the largest gingerbread house, which had a 2,520-square-foot edible-walled house. This gingerbread house was made to aid a hospital trauma centre. Also, there were the executive sous-chef at the New York Marriott Marquis hotel, Jon Lovitch, who broke the record for making the largest gingerbread village. This village had 135 residential and 22 commercial buildings, and cable cars and a train all made of gingerbread. Amazing, right?
At Game of Bricks, we are offering you a gift with historical significance. Check out and purchase our LEGO Gingerbread House 10267 light kit, and let’s make history together with this LEGO Winter gift. It's perfect LEGO Christmas present for anyone who have this set! Bring your holiday season to life by building the LEGO Gingerbread House 10267 set. Then, install our LEGO LED Lights around it to make the building glow brilliantly.
