Lebkuchen thanks to the Empire’s bee garden
Actually, I am not allowed to call my sweets ‘Nürnberger Lebkuchen’. This term is protected by law. If you see a packet with Nürnberger Lebkuchen, you can be sure they are made in Nürnberg itself.
The history of Lebkuchen goes back to the Middle Ages when similar sweets were made all over Europe, called spiced bread in various languages, for example pain d’épices in France or pan forte in Italy.
Nürnberg owns its glory as Lebkuchen city to its position at the crossroads of ancient salt and trade routes. Spices from Asia arrived via Venice and Genoa on the way to Northern and Eastern Europe. The second essential ingredient for the Lebkuchen grew in the dense forest around Nürnberg that was called ‘The German empire’s bee garden’.
The city of Nürnberg bought the exclusive rights for the honey and the wax from the beekeepers in 1427, a clever strategic move because Lebkuchen is still an important source of income for Nürnberg.
Catholic monks in Franconia, the region around Nürnberg, developed the recipe, using oblaten as a base to avoid that the dough stuck to the cookie sheets. Oblaten are normally distributed during mass symbolizing the flesh of Jesus Christ.
The Lebkuchen became famous in 1487, when Emperor Frederick III held a national congress in the city. All the 4000 children of the city received a Lebkuchen with the image of the Emperor, an impressive PR tactic often remembered today.
Nowadays, sugar has replaced the honey but Lebkuchen are still going strong. They are only sold during the extended Christmas season and shipped all over the world.
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