Gingerbread and spices are two of the evocative smells of Christmas. The spice ginger has preservative qualities and it was commonly used to preserve bread and pastries in days gone by. Gingerbread comes in many varieties from biscuit type textures to cakes. Years ago gingerbread biscuits were associated with fairs and in some areas today are still known as Fairings. Gingerbread men were often baked for unmarried girls so they could buy them and eat a ‘gingerbread husband’ in order to stand a chance of meeting a real life husband. Gilded gingerbread was common from Tudor times, where the gingerbread was decorated with gold leaf.
Although gingerbread was not originally a Christmas delicacy in England it is fast becoming popular with the introduction of gingerbread houses. These gingerbread houses have been made for centuries in Germany and recipes were taken to the United States with early settlers. Many families now have a gingerbread house as part of their Christmas food, although these are not quite as elaborate as some of those baked in the United States. Continental Christmas markets in the United Kingdom are now also introducing us to European gingerbreads from the beautifully decorated German Lebkuchen to the Pain d’épices more commonly found in France.