German Gingerbread "Lebkuchen" (2024)

FAQs

Is Lebkuchen the same as gingerbread? ›

What is Lebkuchen? Most dictionaries translate Lebkuchen as “gingerbread”, but that's not quite right. “Gingerbread-like”, perhaps. Consider it a rich, dry, soft biscuit pastry that traditionally uses plenty of honey and spices.

Lebkuchen (pronounced leyb-koo-kuh n) is a centuries-old German spiced treat traditionally baked during the winter holiday season. While lebkuchen is often translated to English as gingerbread, it's not exactly what most Americans envision when they think of gingerbread.

Lebkuchen, a delectable German gingerbread, has a rich history steeped in tradition, dating back centuries. Originating in the medieval monasteries of Franconia, these spiced treats have evolved over time, becoming an integral part of German holiday festivities.

For more than 90 years, Nuremberg's Lebkuchen-Schmidt has been the world's leading mail-order provider of exquisite Gingerbread and pastry specialities.

Our Chocolate Covered Lebkuchen are popular with a certain crowd, but some folks don't like the nuts and spices in these traditional German gingerbread cookies.

In Germany, when you think of Christmas, you think of Nuremberg Lebkuchen, the city's famous gingerbread. These sweet and spicy treats have been baked for more than 600 years and are loved by young and old alike.

Like any other pastry, Lebkuchen is perfect with coffee or tea. But because of their spicy taste and nutty texture you may want to try them with a glass of wine and some grapes or figs - read about the wine pairing suggestions made by our friends at German Wines Canada.

Even today, bakers in these areas tend to package their lebkuchen in simple paper cylinders rather than ornate tins, in a nod to leaner times. The most famous version by far is Elisenlebkuchen.

In 2018, the highest levels of gingerbread per capita consumption was registered in the Netherlands (2,361 kg per 1000 persons), followed by Germany (886 kg per 1000 persons), Belgium (799 kg per 1000 persons) and Spain (748 kg per 1000 persons), while the world average per capita consumption of gingerbread was ...

Pfeffernusse and lebkuchen are both similarly flavored with honey and lots of warm baking spices but pfeffernusse are almost always small, rounded cookies coated with a powdered sugar glaze, while lebkuchen may be shaped like regular cookies or cut in bars and are generally glazed with chocolate.

What are other names for Lebkuchen? ›

Historically, and due to differences in the ingredients, Lebkuchen is also known as "honey cake" (Honigkuchen) or "pepper cake" (Pfefferkuchen). Traditionally, the cookies are usually quite large and may be 11.5 cm (4.5 in) in diameter if round, and larger if rectangular.

"Lebkuchen" (gingerbread) is also known as "Honigkuchen" (honeycake) in some parts of Germany.

In Medieval England gingerbread meant preserved ginger. The hard cookies were a staple at Medieval fairs in England and on the continent. These became known as “gingerbread fairs” and the cookies called “fairings”.