What Is Gingerbread?

Gingerbread is perhaps our most beloved baked good that can become a sentient cookie-man who will run, run as fast as he can. This much we know. It’s also largely associated with the holiday season, during which would-be architects construct their own gingerbread houses. These houses, by and large, do not come to life like the aforementioned gingerbread man, but they are nonetheless fun to make and charming to look at. 

This sweet-spicy treat is a delicious holiday staple, but what is gingerbread, exactly? What’s it made from? Where did it originate? Let’s crunch into some answers. 

What is gingerbread?

Gingerbread can actually refer to a couple of closely related things. They are always baked goods, and they almost always contain cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, sugar or honey, and, of course, ginger, but where they vary is in their level of softness. Soft gingerbread is sometimes called gingerbread cake to help differentiate it from the harder, crispier gingerbread that can almost approach ginger snaps. 

What is gingerbread made of?

Gingerbread cookies are made with flour, baking soda, salt, ground ginger, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, butter, sugar, molasses, egg, and vanilla. You can make gingerbread that’s crispy (like this recipe from Sally’s Baking Addiction) or you can make a softer, cake-like gingerbread (such as this one here from allrecipes). The difference in texture will come down to the baking techniques used. 

Where did gingerbread originate?

It can sometimes be hard to completely verify ancient foods’ original locus point, and that is certainly the case for gingerbread. But here’s what we know: The ancient Greeks and Romans made spice cakes, which could be considered an ancestor to modern day gingerbread, and even used them for ceremonial purposes. In Medieval Europe, “gingerbread,” which was more of a paste of almonds, breadcrumbs, and ginger, was a popular item in bakeries. Wikipedia credits the Armenian monk Gregoria Makar with bringing gingerbread to Europe in 992. And in the U.S., it’s been here all along—the first credited recipe book in the U.S. contained seven different recipes for gingerbread. 

What is less ambiguous is the origin of gingerbread houses. The concept of shaping gingerbread into elaborate shapes and structures first began in Germany in the 16th century. And, interestingly, this was right around the same time that the story of Hansel and Gretel was published, featuring a witch with one of the most famous cookie-houses of all time. 

What does gingerbread taste like?

Gingerbread is a great dessert for those who find some other baked goods to be a tad unrelentingly sweet. Gingerbread has ginger as a core ingredient, so it really does have the peppery, almost spicy flavor of ginger, though it’s cut with other flavors. The flavor profile of gingerbread is a little complex, and the cinnamon tones are very pronounced, but ultimately it is a dessert and still quite sugary. 

If you find the taste of gingerbread to be a little too strong, adding some icing, or a classic glass of milk, can help tame it.