{"id":2161,"date":"2022-02-28T11:16:37","date_gmt":"2022-02-28T10:16:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/muzeumpiernika.pl\/?page_id=2161"},"modified":"2023-08-24T11:03:56","modified_gmt":"2023-08-24T09:03:56","slug":"gingerbreads","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/muzeumpiernika.pl\/en\/gingerbreads\/","title":{"rendered":"Gingerbread"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row el_class=”page1″ css=”.vc_custom_1646044037169{background-image: url(https:\/\/muzeumpiernika.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/pernikibg.jpg?id=1595) !important;}”][vc_column][vc_raw_html]JTNDaDElM0VHaW5nZXJicmVhZCUzQyUyRmgxJTNFJTBBJTNDYSUyMGhyZWYlM0QlMjJodHRwcyUzQSUyRiUyRm11emV1bXBpZXJuaWthLnBsJTJGJTIyJTNFU3RhcnQlM0MlMkZhJTNFR2luZ2VyYnJlYWQ=[\/vc_raw_html][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row el_class=”pier1″ el_id=”krotka-historia”][vc_column][vc_raw_html]JTNDaDIlM0UlMEFBJTIwYnJpZWYlMjBoaXN0b3J5JTIwb2YlMjBnaW5nZXJicmVhZCUzQyUyRmgyJTNFJTBBJTBBJTNDZGl2JTIwY2xhc3MlM0QlMjJjeXRhdDElMjIlM0VHZGElQzUlODRza2ElMjB3JUMzJUIzZGVjemthJTJDJTIwS3Jha293c2thJTIwZHppZXdlY3prYSUyQyUyMFdhcnN6YXdza2klMjB0cnpld2ljemVrJTJDJTNDYnIlM0UlMEFUb3J1JUM1JTg0c2tpJTIwcGllcm5pY3playUyMSUzQyUyRmRpdiUzRSUwQSUwQSUzQ2RpdiUyMGNsYXNzJTNEJTIyY3l0YXQyJTIyJTNFRnJ5ZGVyeWslMjBIb2ZmbWFubiUyQyUzQ2JyJTNFJTBBUG9ldGElMjBlbGJsJUM0JTg1c2tpJTJDJTIwMTYyNy0xNjczJTNDJTJGZGl2JTNF[\/vc_raw_html][vc_column_text]Although we would very much like for it to be so, gingerbread was not invented in Toru\u0144. Its history dates back much, much earlier, to ancient times. Back then, honey-coated cookies called “miodowniki” were popular. In one of the Roman cookbooks written by Apicius, there is even a recipe for a honey cookie with pepper, reminiscent of later gingerbread. These were a delicacy enjoyed by the Roman Emperor Nero. After the fall of the Roman Empire, this delicious tradition fell into oblivion. It wasn’t until the Middle Ages that nuns began to bake spiced honey cakes according to ancient recipes. This became possible due to the Crusades, which allowed the import of large quantities of spices to Europe. With the development of cities, specialized baking guilds emerged, drawing on the experience of the nuns. And so, the great career of gingerbread (not only from Toru\u0144) began.<\/p>\n

The tradition of baking cookies with honey and spices arrived in Toru\u0144 with the first settlers from German cities. The earliest mentions of Toru\u0144 gingerbreads date back to around 1380 and speak of a baker named Miko\u0142aj Czan, who likely, alongside bread, engaged in baking spiced cookies. We had to wait almost two centuries for the term “piernikarz” (gingerbread baker) to appear. In 1564, city records provide information about the death of the gingerbread baker Symeon Neisser.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”80px”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row el_class=”pierfoto”][vc_column][vc_column_text]\"\"[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row el_class=”pier2″][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”110px”][vc_column_text]Why did Toru\u0144<\/strong> become the “gingerbread capital<\/strong>“? The advantageous location of the city where Copernicus resided certainly played a significant role. The fertile Che\u0142mno Land and Kuyavia regions ensured a steady supply of good-quality flour<\/strong>. Similarly, honey was abundant due to advanced beekeeping that provided large quantities of high-quality ingredients. Access to exotic spices was also easy due to its position on a trade route connecting Lviv<\/strong> with Gdansk<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

A greater challenge lies in determining when the term “gingerbread” was first used. The adjective “pierny,” meaning spicy or peppery, from which the delicacy derived its name, was used until the 16th century. The word “piernik” itself appears at the turn of the 15th and 16th centuries. The creation of gingerbread and the derivation of its name from “pierny” were associated with the addition of spice to the popular cake made from flour and honey, called “miodownik”: pepper, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg. Many legends have arisen about the reasons behind this surprising combination. They are explained, among other things, by a mistake made by the aforementioned Miko\u0142aj, which turned out to be a source of great wealth for him, or by the desire of a poor apprentice named Bogumi\u0142 to win the heart of the beautiful Katarzyna.<\/p>\n

It is difficult today to determine what the process of making gingerbread looked like in the Middle Ages. Recipes were closely guarded and passed down orally from generation to generation. For this reason, the oldest recorded recipe for Toru\u0144 gingerbread dates only back to 1725. Interestingly, it didn’t come from a cookbook, but from the popular medical compendium “Compendium medicum auctum.” This was due to the medicinal properties of the spices that were added to the dough.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”110px”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row el_class=”pierfoto”][vc_column][vc_column_text]\"\"[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row el_class=”pier3″ css=”.vc_custom_1652788555340{background-color: #f9f5f0 !important;}” el_id=”przepis”][vc_column][vc_raw_html]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[\/vc_raw_html][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row el_class=”pier2″][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”110px”][vc_column_text]In ancient times, two types of gingerbread were baked: soft and figurative. The difference lay in the addition (or lack thereof) of a leavening agent. In the Middle Ages, this role was played by potash, which is essentially burnt wood charcoal. Soft gingerbreads were simply consumed as they were. Figurative ones, however, were pressed into intricate wooden molds and due to the high cost of spices, they were considered luxury items and symbols of the owner’s wealth. Therefore, they were hung on walls in prominent places and, to enhance their beauty, they were painted with colors, and some were even gilded. This, however, didn’t deter sweet tooths. In consequence, it led to the authorities in the city banning this practice. Figurative gingerbreads were reportedly so hard that, according to one legend, they could successfully replace a wheel on a cart.<\/p>\n

However, gingerbread is not just a treat. In ancient times, it had various functions. It served as a snack with vodka (as they used to say, “Whoever doesn’t drink vodka and avoids it is not worthy of tasting sweet gingerbread”). It was also used as a military hardtack that could be stored for a long time due to the preserving properties of honey and spices. Additionally, it was sold as a remedy in pharmacies, thanks to the medicinal properties of the spices added to the dough.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”110px”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row el_class=”pierfoto”][vc_column][vc_column_text]\"\"[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row el_class=”pier2″][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”110px”][vc_column_text]Gingerbread proved to be a successful diplomatic tool. In 1696, gingerbread gifts managed to win favor with the Swedes concerning the city’s debts, and in 1778, Empress Catherine received as a gift from the people of Toru\u0144 a gingerbread measuring four cubits long and half a cubit thick, worth 300 thalers. It is certain that most of the twelve Polish kings who visited Toru\u0144 were also bestowed with gingerbread gifts.<\/p>\n

While there are many cities in Europe that gained renown through gingerbread baking, such as Basel, Salzburg, Aachen, or Pardubice, the only significant competitor to Toru\u0144 in the race for gingerbread supremacy in Europe was Nuremberg. Each of these cities zealously guarded its recipes while making efforts to uncover the rival’s secret. Eventually, through an agreement in 1556, Toru\u0144 gained the right to bake “Nuremberg” gingerbreads, and Nuremberg officially started producing “Toru\u0144” gingerbreads.<\/p>\n

While we can’t directly compare the taste of 16th-century gingerbread with its contemporary counterpart, we can still observe how such figurative gingerbread looked, thanks to the preserved gingerbread molds. These wooden gingerbread molds continue to captivate with their diversity of forms and exquisite craftsmanship. They were created by either gingerbread masters or specialized woodcarvers. The patterns carved into the molds vary widely and can sometimes be incredibly intricate. Among the preserved molds, human images dominate, including Polish rulers such as King Sigismund III and Queen Constance, or King W\u0142adys\u0142aw IV, fashionable ladies and gentlemen, soldiers, as well as allegorical and religious figures (primarily St. George and St. Nicholas). Somewhat less common were depictions of animals (most frequently: rooster, wild boar, deer, fish, stork) and symbols \u2013 among these, hearts, fruits, houses, and gloves held special significance as symbols of particular respect and friendship toward the recipient. The coat of arms of Toru\u0144 was also a recurring motif. The molds used during museum demonstrations incorporate all the most popular motifs found on historical gingerbread molds.<\/p>\n

Among the shapes of gingerbreads, the “Katarzynka” (Catherine)<\/strong> undeniably occupies the first place in Toru\u0144. Every year, starting from November 25th, which is the feast day of St. Catherine, until Christmas, this shape was baked massively in Copernicus’ city. The form of the “Katarzynka” intrigues, and even today, practically nothing is known about its origin. Legends speak of a beautiful Catherine, the daughter of a master baker, who filled in for her seriously ill father in the workshop.<\/p>\n

An inexperienced gingerbread maker, unable to find intricate wooden molds, used a cup to cut out six little circles and arranged them on a baking sheet. The gingerbreads in the oven fused together, forming the shape we know today. Another legend tells of a journeyman named Bogumil, who was in love with the master’s daughter. He intricately cut a pattern from the dough, consisting of two hearts and two rings. He named the gingerbread “Katarzynka” in honor of the beautiful daughter of the master, whose heart he wanted to win.<\/p>\n

The Living Museum of Gingerbread proudly continues the over 600-year-old tradition of baking Toru\u0144 gingerbreads. In addition to preserving and showcasing to our visitors the guild techniques of gingerbread baking, we recreate the old gingerbread recipes. After all, who can resist the spicy aroma and taste that encapsulate centuries of history? Come in great numbers to our museum and experience it for yourselves![\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”110px”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row el_class=”pierfoto”][vc_column][vc_column_text]\"\"[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row el_class=”pier5″ el_id=”ciekawostki”][vc_column][vc_raw_html]JTNDaDIlM0VHaW5nZXJicmVhZCUyMHRyaXZpYSUzQyUyRmgyJTNF[\/vc_raw_html][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n