My 150-year-old Gingerbread House!

Why do people make gingerbread houses at Christmas?
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Hi I am Ann Reardon, How to Cook That is my youtube channel it is filled with crazy sweet creations and food science videos made just for you. In this episode I am making a gingerbread house from scratch the design is inspired by a picture in a 150 year old cookbook. And exploring the true origin of gingerbread houses. The history books are not as clear as i'd expected. Join me for creative cakes, chocolate & desserts, new video every Friday.
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[@HowToCookThat]

Below is some excellent research done for us by Claudia; a food historian, specialized in nineteenth century Germany, at the University of St Andrews in Scotland. Thank you Claudia. Parameters: Joe Perry has produced an excellent study of the invention of Christmas in Germany which shows thatmany practices, decorations and foods we identify as Christmassy in the twentieth century are far younger than we might think.[1] Hobsbawm and Ranger call the period c.1870-1920 the era of the Invention of Tradition-a very apt name which describes an era of increased nationalization in Europe’s empires, where older customs were rebranded and solidified, or made up from scratch.[2] That includes national cuisines and festivities, which as Lesnizcak shows and I confirm in my own work, did not exist in Germany until around 1900.[3] So-broadly, the scholarship agrees that any local customs that predated the 1870s, e.g. in the Medieval period, usually grew out of available foodstuffs and were more likely aimed at survival among the peasantry, while monasteries formed very privileged food-stuff exchange networks in fruits, sweets and meats along with courts, and spent a lot of time hoarding, preserving, and consuming goods very creatively to bypass the many recognized fasting days of the calendar year. Hypothesising: I would not expect the appearance of “Knusperhäuschen” (literally translated as “Crunchy snack houses”) or “Lebkuchenhäuschen” (lit.: “Bread of Life houses”) or their synonyms “Pfefferkuchenhaus” (Pepper-cake house) and “Honigkuchenhaus” (Honey-cake house) before c.1880. Because central Europe is so regionally varied and split into various states with slightly different regional dialects, there are a range of terms here! Then there is the economics of it and the social dimension. Sugar prices drop throughout the eighteenth century, so, sugar prices would not have been the main restriction from c.1800 onwards. Spices were very expensive until the twentieth century, but in high usage among middle-class houses for food preservation before refrigeration. Spice usage did not drop in Germany until, again, around 1900. In terms of construction, the most complex grandes pièces come about after Antonine Carême c.1800 and are not popularized in central Europe until c.1850 through authors like Johann Rottenhöfer, the Master Chef to the King of Bavaria. Then, there is the audience of the houses: Germany has local elites all over their small towns which are often quite literate and make up about one third of the population, but, they usually do not have the spare time to construct houses until after 1860, when the general industry changes to such an extent, as to introduce female domesticity larger scale. Among urban elites thereafter, some families (c.5%-20%) would have had the means, knowledge, and access to construct houses. Alright-Sources! Testing the Hypothesis: “Honigkuchen” seems to be a literal translation of Old Testament “honey cakes” which women baked as part of worship and persists in that meaning until the mid-nineteenth century.[4] “Lebkuchen” (lit.Bread of Life) as a baked good is a medieval good and matches the Hobsbawm and Ranger medieval “custom” part of the gingerbread story, rather than the newer invented “tradition” of the modern period; Lebkuchen dates back at the very least to the 1520s, and likely, goes back even further.[5] Central Europeans used “Pfefferkuchen” for medicinal purposes in the 1600s,[6] and commonly made this dough to produce a range of dolls, shapes and smaller cookies in molds, sometimes, seemingly potentially for sacred celebratory purposes, because their molds contained carvings, which resemble Christian Coptic Orthodox contemporary sacred bread molds, and medieval host molds, which often contained a biblical reference to bread.[7] If you have ever seen a “Pfefferkuchenherz” or Peppercakeheart on a German fair today, you can see a very late and heavily adapted modern survivor of this practice. Writers used the terms “Pfefferkuchen” and “Lebkuchen” interchangeably as a version of “pain d’epices” (spiced bread) by the 1700.[8] Because spices were often the whole point of an early modern meal, and other foodstuffs used as a vehicle to transport this medicinal good into the body, this is highly intuitive and matches findings elsewhere. The earliest use of the term “Pfefferkuchenhaus” (Peppercake + house) appears in a romantic poem from 1834, and bears no relation to the Grimms or something edible, but instead appears in a list with princes, dragons and fairies.[9] Central Europe went through a climatic crisis and severe period of structural poverty in this period, so dreams of plenty would be common and often made the cut in literature of the period. The first in-depth discussion of the “Bread of Life House” or “Lebkuchenhaus” which synthesizes its fragmentary history appears in a book by Rochholz published c.1872 now held at Harvard.[10] The author of the book places the invention of Lebkuchen to the thirteenth century and tells the story of various medieval miracles achieved with the “Bread of Life”, which beautifully combines medieval sacral healing beliefs with the medicinal holism of Hippocrates and Galen which guided European medicine for millennia. This is precisely the kind of invention of tradition which Hobsbawm and Ranger discuss: you take a range of fragments, and fuse them into an invented tradition. Fascinatingly, Rochholz does not discuss Christmas at all. Instead, he discusses how difficult gingerbreadhouses are to make, which makes families lean on specialized bakers to produce them. Simultaneously, the earliest uses of the term “Knusperhäuschen” appears in a critic’s discussion of the Grimm fairytale in 1864,[11] and seems to have been solidified within the tale in an operatic adaptation of Hansel and Gretel by Engelbert Humperdinck.[12] The opera was first performed in on December 23rd of 1893, leading to an association to Christmas thereafter. The Grimm’s version of the tale held no association to Christmas.[13] By the 1880s, urban Christmas expositions display a range of foodstuffs now associated more strongly to Christmas: sweets, fruit-breads, chocolate, baked goods, and Nuremberg Lebkuchen.[14] By 1902, the association stuck, and “Lebkuchen” appear as a “typical” Christmas item in advertisements. The solidification of the “house” structure does not appear to stick in Germany until after the 1950s. Central Europe saw a lot of war between 1914 and 1945, and depression between the two wars. It is possible that the consumption of German media in North America among expats, migrants, and others Americans actually combined the three elements-house structure, gingerbread dough, and Christmas festivity-into one by the 1890s.[15] Much like Octoberfest, which was not popular beyond Bavaria and had not quite taken on its contemporary format, until after 1945 and US occupation of the German south. Historian David Blackbourn points out that central Europeans were very chameleonic, and quickly adapted into societies worldwide after migrating there.[16] Conclusion: My initial hypothesis of the 1880s was right and wrong in a very revealing manner. I had underestimated the importance of migration-three million central Europeans migrated to the Americas from the 1850s onwards and enjoyed somewhat more constancy there than their counterparts did in Europe. Central Europeans did invent the tradition of gingerbread with Christmas by 1900, matching broad patterns which historians have identified so far. But the house structure seems to have been a later, if not US-based phenomenon, then a post-war one. So, even though central Europe may have produced all the pieces, they may have been joined trans-Atlantically by the 1890s and come to form part of a more American-dominated marketing machinery in the Age of Americanization.[17] I hope that is not too much of a let-down! Congratulations on everything you have achieved-your channel is exceptional and a range of my students love it as well. All the best, Claudia

[@HowToCookThat]

Sources: [1]Joe Perry, Christmas in Germany: A Cultural History. 1 edition. (Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press, 2010). [2] E. J, Hobsbawm and Terence Ranger, The Invention of Tradition (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1992). [3] Peter Lesniczak, Alte Landschaftsküchen im Sog der Modernisierung: Studien zu einer Ernährungsgeographie Deutschlands zwischen 1860 und 1930 (Stuttgart: Franz Steiner Verlag, 2003). [4] Der Tausend und Einen Nacht noch nicht übersezte Mährchen, Erzählungen und Anekdoten (Stuttgart, 1824), 211. [5]Handschrift Stadtbibliothek Nürnberg Amb. 279.2°, Folio 11 verso at hausbuecher.nuernberg.de/75-Amb-2-279-11-v/data [6] Paul Ammann, Medicina critica sive decisoria: centuria casuum medicinalium in concilio facult. med. Lips. antehac resolutorum, comprehensa (Erfurt, 1670), 401. [7] Worterbuch der Deutschen Sprache. Veranstaltet herausgegeben von Joachim Heinrich Campe. Erster (-funster und lester) Theil: L bis R, (Braunschweig, 1809), 619. [8] Gottlieb Siegmund Corvinus, Nutzbares, galantes und curiöses Frauenzimmer-Lexicon (Frankfurt, 1739), 1211. Great scan: books.google.co.uk/books?id=-AxCAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA1211&dq=pfefferkuchen&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj279-g4pGEAxXnX0EAHcZoD3QQ6AF6BAgIEAI#v=onepage&q=pfefferkuchen&f=false [9] Eduard Schulze, Gedichte von E. Ferrand (pseud.). (Berlin, 1834). [10] Ernst Ludwig Rochholz, Das Lebkuchenhaus; Zur Geschichte Der Festbrode (Hannover, 1872), at:hdl.handle.net/2027/hvd.32044089090245?urlappend=%3Bseq=1. [11] F. Hermann Kahle, Claudius und Hebel nebst Gleichzeitigem und Gleichartigem: Ein Hilfsbuch zum Studium deutscher, besonders der volksthümlichen Sprache und Litteratur, sowie eine Handreichung zum Eintritt in die Geschichte derselben. Für Seminaristen, lehrer und alle Freunde der Volksstimme, Volkssprache und Volksschrift (Berlin, 1864). [12] Here a critic’s laudation of the opera: Gesellschaft (Leipzig,1894), 1190. books.google.co.uk/books?id=pmdPAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA1190&dq=Knusperh%C3%A4uschen&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj6v6uP3ZGEAxX1VEEAHU6JC9YQ6AF6BAgLEAI#v=onepage&q&f=false (Warning: contains Anti-Semitism and anti-Slavic racism.) [13] Maria Tatar, The Hard Facts of the Grimms’ Fairy Tales (Princeton University Press, 2003). [14] Freisinger Tagblatt: Freisinger Nachrichten ; Amtsblatt der Stadt Freising und aller Behörden des Kreises Freising (München, 1888), 291. [15] The American Kitchen Magazine (Boston, 1897), xviii [16] David Blackbourn, Germany in the World: A Global History, 1500-2000 (Liveright Publishing, 2023). [17] Rachel Laudan, Cuisine and Empire: Cooking in World History (Berkeley, 2015); Victoria De Grazia, Irresistible Empire: America’s Advance through Twentieth-Century Europe. (Cambridge, Mass: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 2005).

[@experimental_error]

Thank you to Dr Kreklau! I’m off to buy a copy of “The Invention of Tradition” - it sounds like a fascinating read (as was your exploration of gingerbread houses)!

[@xyungeloest]

So as a German: Firstly Gingerbread is called Lebkuchen or Pfefferkuchen here, wich means „pepper cake“, so it has always been called cake (just like you call it bread“ Stories of buildings made of caked (or pepper cake) can be found around the 1500s. Some traditions have your godparents gift you a cake house and even the mythical world „Schlaraffenland“ is made of cake houses (there is a painting from the 1500s showing a early version of gingerbread houses). But Hansel and Gretel really did popularise it, not by the written story alone, but by the pictures it inspired (since most people couldn’t read back than anyways) Hope this helps somewhat

[@tefroqr3994]

Important note to add is that Lebkuchen isn't the same as Gingerbread. Lebkuchen is as soft as cake, and not as intense in flavour as gingerbread (generally speaking, since it obviously depends on what recipes we're comparing). The slight differences remind me of German Pfannkuchen compared to pancakes. Similar, but different in significant ways.

[@ShintogaDeathAngel]

@@tefroqr3994 yeah, there’s no way a house could be built from Lebkuchen!

[@moujayay]

@@tefroqr3994 It depends if you wanted to eat it right away or not. Lebkuchen cna be as stiff as gingerbread if you want to use it to build Lebkuchenhäuser (gingerbreadhouses) out of it . maybe it is not quite as dense as some gingerbread but the base recipe is the same. yes you are right about pancakes but there I think we have as many recipies as families continuing a tradition.

[@JuiceMade3603]

How facinating!

[@Xpschwester1]

​@@tefroqr3994 interesting! i always thought this was just a thing between austrians and germans like brötchen and semmel or stuhl and sessel. in austria i have never seen a pfefferkuchen to buy in our stores. it has always been just lebkuchen. i really have to try pfefferkuchen next time i visit germany! :)

[@WhyForLewis]

That is an AMAZING gingerbread house, I could stare at it all day. 🤩I was searching online and I found a site, it says that in Thomas Hardy’s Jude the Obscure (1896), Jude who had grown up in his aunt’s baking business, takes to building gingerbread houses - called Christminster cakes - complete with ‘traceried windows, and cloisters." It also says Gingerbread houses were believed to have started in Germany around the 16th and 18th century. I also read a news article that in the centuries following Queen Elizabeth the first started making gingerbread figures for her guests, shaped gingerbread became popular across Europe, with figures and models used as window decorations, or given as gifts on religious holidays or birthdays. So that probably is the reason it is now something done at Christmas. 🎅

[@ressiestamps6238]

Nice, enjoyed watching.

[@getin3949]

Well, the Germans are a very industrious people and excellent bakers.

[@sunnynight8828]

As others mentioned, there was a shoemaker Hans Sachs from Nuremberg who also wrote poems and stories. In one of his poems from 1530, he wrote about the 'Land of Cockaigne'/ the 'Land of milk and honey' There, he writes: "That is three miles beyond Christmas" (the land of milk and honey lies there) [...] "There he has food and drink at hand; the houses are covered with flatbreads, with gingerbread doors and window shutters." In 1567 Pieter Bruegels painted the land of milk and honey and there seems to be a house in the background that is made out of gingerbread and decorated with sweets on the roof. Apparently gingerbread was made around Christmas because of the things you said about the monks, because the spices were so heavy and more suited for winter and because they were so expensive it was something really special, so very well suited for Christmas time :) I hope that might help😊

I think we found the same source because what I read was pretty much identical to what you wrote 😂

[@sarahr.6157]

Additionally there is an Opera about Hänsel an gretel written by Engelbert Humperdincks, which was showed very often around Christmastime (Adventszeit). They used a Gingerbreadhouse and so the popularity and the Connection to Christmas is build. I also stumbled upon a Children-Song about Hänsel an Gretel, in Which the House is made of "Pfefferkuchen". This word means the same as "Lebkuchen/Gingerbread" but is specifically used in the eastern region of germany. The Reason for the Transformation from Bread to something sweet like Gingerbread is not really to be found. (Im sorry if my english isnt that good)

[@moujayay]

@@sarahr.6157 The song itself was spread around Germany though it is often learned by children all over the country.

[@moujayay]

@ I found the same source I think xD it's really hard to find anything else online about gingerbread houses. most of the historical part is focused on the gingerbread itself.

[@toolbaggers]

*Schumacher

[@Susan-ef6qy]

Hi Ann, German here. I did some research and what i found was that the origin of gingerbread houses isn't really known for sure. Some think they have their origins in the story of "Hänsel an Gretel", just like you said. But there are records of paintings and descriptions of houses that are (at least partially) made out of gingerbread going back to the medieval times. For example the Painting "Schlaraffenland" (the "Schlaraffenland" is a utopian fantasy land with limitless food) from Pieter Bruegels was painted in 1567 is quite popular here. And even prior to that in 1530 Hans Sachs wrote about the "Schlaraffenland" and mentioned houses that are covered with flatbread and gingerbread. love your videos! And the house you made is beautiful.

[@moujayay]

Important note here is that those were fantastical depictions (in both literature and art) but there is no evidence such houses were actually built until the 1893 opera of Hänsel und Gretel that depicted a gingerbread house as their witches house. Before that, even in the tale, the house was made out of bread and cake with sugar windows but not completely out of gingerbread. There was a note that a boy wanted to built the witches house for his sister in 1896 out of gingerbread. most likely that was inspired by the opera.

[@gy2gy246]

@@moujayay Yup, I just found Grimm's original story online: "the house was built of bread, and roofed with cakes; and the window was of transparent sugar."

[@couchpotatoqueenera]

interesting that gingerbread would be in fantasies!

[@moujayay]

@@couchpotatoqueenera well think about it. back then food was a rare good for lots of people so they imagined a dream-like land where even the houses were made out of bread.

[@carissamessina1908]

Ann, for the love of God, read stories and release them for us to listen to! Holy crap your story telling is amazing! I’m trying to get ready for work listening to you tell this story. Your voice is calming as well, Christmas morning! This is so cool! Entertaining and educational!

[@Eagle_Owl2]

Right? Just short videos of Ann reading fairytales/short stories. Heck, I might even listen to her reading the newspaper :D

[@lozenger8]

Ann, do you ever watch Tasting History with Max Miller? I feel like you two would make a fabulous collaboration. I loved this video. Your gingerbread creations are always magnificent and thank you so much for explaining how your house wasn't quite perfect. That honesty makes you my favourite.

[@DorkInProgress84]

Wow yes, it would be amazing if she and Max joined forces!

[@Teverell]

That would be an amazing collaboration!!

[@susanrybak7192]

I was thinking the same thing. Happy Holidays!

[@davidthedeaf]

I was thinking as watching it they should collaborate on a tasting of the original gingerbread that she said monks made without flour.

[@melnoli]

This would be the greatest of all collabs!

[@mysterylovescompany2657]

That's the most beautiful gingerbread house I've ever seen. And that base was very ambitious.

[@marilena84312]

This is an amazing gingerbread house. You have outdone yourself! Though I am in Germany, I have no knowledge of when it started, but I recommend you contact the creator of the channel tasting history. Max Miller , here on youtube. as the name says he’s basically all about finding the origin of old recipes and re-creating, the oldest one, the historical one. And he already has a video on gingerbread just not houses yet. Frankly, since you are two of my most favourite content creators, I would be absolutely psyched if you could even do a collaboration on this but I’m sure he’ll be happy to help even if it’s just with information.

[@ThePhantomFanatic]

I know it’s Christmas when Ann is making a gingerbread house and every year more extravagant than the last ❤

[@afiiik1]

The traditional Czech recipe is 1:1 honey and flour (wheat and rye) and a mixture of spices. The dough is pressed into carved wooden moulds.

[@erzsebetkovacs2527]

Do you add anything else to this mix (eggs, water) or just the honey, flour and spice? I guess this would come out rock hard from the oven and then you would wait for a couple of days to eat it, right?

[@afiiik1]

@@erzsebetkovacs2527 I forgot, there are 5 yolks per 1kg of flour. You can add 150g butter to make it softer sooner, there's half a teaspoon of baking soda that some people add and a teaspoon of cocoa powder for colour but these are modern additions. The dough is prepared at least 30 days before consumption and a few days before baking, stored in a fridge. The baked perníčky are given an egg wash when still hot from the oven and stored in a paper box in a humid cool place.

[@JCalltheway]

Can we just talk about the hard work and dedication she put into the making of this video?

[@Galacta712]

I love these historical baking videos so much, they’re like a history lesson, science experiment and baking tutorial all in one

[@nileredscandy]

It's never the Christmas season without the annual gingerbread house. Happiest of Christmases to the Reardon fam and everyone in the world 🌲❄️☃️

[@byronchandler5000]

Ann, your gingerbread house is just absolutely beautiful, and so is your curly hair. I find it strange Christmas is celebrated in summer in Australia.

[@HowToCookThat]

All the movies have snow for Christmas. So even though every Christmas I've experienced has been in summer I'd like to travel and have one in winter one day.

[@mysterylovescompany2657]

It's the same day as it is the whole world over. 😄

[@builtontherockhomestead9390]

​@@HowToCookThatI grew up in Northern California. I remember decades ago, pre-internet (either late 70's or early 80's) watching a Christmas movie made in Australia and I believe set in the bush. The characters were complaining of the heat. It was so strange to me, the idea of Christmas in summer.

[@hannahreynolds7611]

​@@HowToCookThat I used to have Australian temps work for me when I worked in London. Every time we had snow, we knew they would be a little late in to work because they'd be out playing in the snow and taking photos. It was the best plan, and it never occurred to us Londoners to try it.

[@3lttlbrds]

​@@mysterylovescompany2657yea but summer starts in December in Australia. That's what they meant

[@Dia-ei3dl]

Tis the season for the annual Ann Reardon gingerbread house 🎉

[@HowToCookThat]

Merry Christmas @Dia-ei3dl 🎄

[@buddies8154]

true :)

[@charlotteskudder6263]

WOW that has to be the best gingerbread house ever made. Absolutely AMAZING, Ann. It would be interesting to know how long that took you. Thank you for all the hard work you put in to your videos, Merry Christmas

[@dawnkindnesscountsmost5991]

In the Northern Hemisphere, I imagine ginger would be desirable around Christmas and afterward to warm up those who eat things made of ginger, including gingerbread, whether made into houses or not, and of course they'd probably drink ginger tea. That's a beautiful gingerbread house!

[@erzsebetkovacs2527]

Right. This tradition of consuming Eastern spices originates from the Middle Ages, when people thought them to be healthy due to their supposed heating effect on the body in cold winter, as you say, but they also connected them to the exotic East, which was where the central figures of the Christian faith lived. So, it made sense for them to have these spices at this time of the year.

[@electronblue8334]

well, traditionally Germans didn't use many spices. We used to be quite poor here, not enough money to import exotic spices. In Germany we didn't have ginger and chili and all the hot spices until way after the war (think 80s). I remember how reverently my mother used to treat saffron on the rare occasions she splurged on it. To get warm, we ate soup and stew. Lots of dishes with cabbages around here. Our "strong" spices are nutmeg, cloves, bay leaves and black pepper. Very pedestrian.

[@pythagorasmathematik9585]

The German Lebkuchen or Pfefferkuchen have a lot of regional variety, and versions that can be pressed into wooden forms or cut to shape are quite common. From what I can find the earliest German mention of Gingerbredhouses is from 1795(Georg Gustav Füllerborn). They weren't very common for a while, but the connection to fairytales made them more so. They aren't mentioned in every Version and the story varies, but a story in 1817(Karoline Stahl) does include it.

[@MoonMinah93]

I really loved watching the assembly of the most beautiful gingerbread house while listening to history! I myself am not a christian, but this video was beautiful! Thank you, Ann!

[@unicornisabelle8871]

God bless you this Christmas!! ^^

[@MoonMinah93]

@@unicornisabelle8871 Thank you, have a nice weekend :)

[@noaccount2494]

May the season be gentle and kind to you, from one non-christian to another

[@MoonMinah93]

@@noaccount2494

[@embee7434]

I love the gingerbread episodes, Ann. ❤ Beautiful work as always! I'm looking forward to seeing what sort of sleuthing outcomes show up!

[@HowToCookThat]

thanks @embee merry christmas

[@hopegold883]

I neve think she can top herself - and no reason why she should - but she always seems to.

[@XkittenXzoeX-hh8xv]

Congrats on getting a heart and reply from Ann!

[@embee7434]

@@HowToCookThat and a very Merry Christmas to you as well. ❤️

[@CrossyNZ]

Gidday from the antipodes! I took a different tack, and tried to find the earliest reference to Gingerbread Houses in Australian and New Zealand newspapers. The earliest exact New Zealand reference is actually a year earlier than the one you found - (Unknown Author, "The Ladies' Page - Table Talk," (Otago Witness, Dundein) issue 2133, January 1895. p. 46.) Quote: "In the cortege which received the Emperor of Germany at Thorn there figured a delegation of manufacturers of gingerbread who carried a small house entirely made (except a few wooden supports) of gingerbread, sugar, and chocolate. It was a yard high by two long, and weighed two quintels (a little more than two-and-a-half hundredweight). The Emperor having admired this new specimen of art, the manufactorers of it were so delighted that they at once sent the gingerbread house to the little Princes at Potsdam." This story suggests the gingerbread house was a monster, well over 100kg ( - a hundredweight is eight stone) and freaking huge in length. So some Germans would be better placed to see if the good ladies of 1890s central Otago just thought German gingerbread makers were unbelievably awesome. The earliest Australian references are genuinely intriguing, they honestly need more contextual examination than one intrigued Australian historian doing a quick primary search. But prima facie, it appears that "Gingerbread House" was a metaphor for a decorated structure in the mid-1800s in Australia. The earliest reference in this manner I could find was 1856. This article was comparing Russian houses to English ones. Quote: "It might be worth while to inquire whether this use of iron is not applicable at home, for, although we are wont to build rather gingerbread houses, they are not much inferior in solidity, except in the new quarters of London, to the generality of houses in Russia. ("The Coronation Fetes" Empire (Sydney) Issue 5, 26 December 1856. p 6.) This would suggest the concept of a decorated gingerbread was reasonably common prior to this (i.e. understandable enough to be used in broad print.) The second oldest example of "gingerbread house" being used in this way - to describe something decorative - is from a satire of an Australian politician. ("What Martin Means to Do," The Yass Courier (NSW) 20 January 1864, p. 4.) He is satirized as saying; "Now, I mean to show them what a real reformer is, and the first thing I shall do is to demolish that gingerbread Upper House." This is actually a really cool pun, the article is dope. ((James Martin was, of course, the Premier of New South Wales during this time.)) I found references to decorated buildings being called "Gingerbread Houses" in Australian print in 1879 ("Local and General." The Cumberland Mercury (Parramatta, NSW) 13 September 1879. p 8), in 1880 ( 'IN THE BUSH.', Ovens and Murray Advertiser (Beechworth, Vic.) 15 June 1880, p. 4.) etc etc all the way to 1903. There are about five of them in fifty years, which is hardly extensive, but it is consistent in its metaphorical use. But during this period, this metaphor basically stops! References get more targeted, and more numerous. There are far more direct references are to either real gingerbread houses that are being given out on stage, ("Real Gingerbread House." Bendigo Advertiser (Vic) 25 January 1906. p 6.) or fairytales ("The ladies." Evening Journal (Adelaide, SA) 16 March 1901. p 3. ) There are also direct references to the Hansel and Gretel story around this period - there seems to have been an Opera which directly made the witch's house specifically from "gingerbread". ("GRAND OPERA SEASON." The Daily Telegraph (Sydney, NSW) 6 June 1907. p 7.) Basically, there are a few possibilities here. It looks like the term "gingerbread house" was in modest use as a metaphor for a decorated building; it does seem that gingerbread houses are linked to fairy stories by at least 1901. It appears that by 1907 at least one stage production decided it made sense to produce Hansel and Gretel with a gingerbread house; and by 1910 reproductions of the story in print for children reference gingerbread houses, implying widespread cultural adoption in Australia of that interpretation. ("The Witch of the Gingerbread House." The Star (Sydney, NSW) 1 February 1910. p 3.) Interesting! It seems there was no specific trigger, but a general cultural upsurge based on multiple convergent ideas and activities. Merry Christmas, and don't feel pressured to make a two-yard long 125kg gingerbread house.

[@EvanRockwell1]

I JUST checked to see if there was a new HTCT video. 10 minutes later it shows up!!! Yaaay!

[@viosavvy]

Wow, her voice is so nice for narration. She'd be great for audio books :)

[@BryanLu0]

Based on some preliminary searching, it seems that the German gingerbread also comes in a harder variety that may be more conducive to building houses. This is speculation, but I think people were having trouble making houses out of bread, so instead they used gingerbread. And then in later versions of Hansel and Gretel, the bread house was changed out for a gingerbread house.

[@das_moendchen3250]

It hardens after baking. When warm it's firm but a bit soft and it can get really hard if you leave it to cool and dry. Especially the "Lebkuchenherzen" (gingerbread hearts) which you can get at christmas marktes or other kind of markets (or fairs I think it's called in english) around the time of late summer/fall. They are sometimes too hard to eat. :)

[@Airsaber]

A culinary masterpiece, as always! Happy Holidays! As for the Grimm - as far as I know, they didn't really invent any of "their" stories; they gathered some folktales and shaped them more to their liking.

[@curioushoodie]

This is like ASMR but watching video of baking process along with the origin stories. Relaxing and informative! I LOVE IT! Please do keep it up, Ann!! Edit to add: Using legos to make a staircase mould is genius!! And the vines are incredible! really brings it to life! I love that you respect the origin to ask for German audience’s research and didn’t just stop at English texts. Everything you do makes my heart sing ❤

[@sherbetfarts]

Omg watching you put this gingerbread house together was magic, it turned out so beautifully!

[@jasminbarakat1999]

I dont like gingerbread... But I loved this video ❤️ i love the way you research properly and diligently, i wish more people did this!

[@julzjohnson8077]

I don't like gingerbread either, but it does look amazing. I'll eat the curly wurly railings though lol

[@mrsokol6199]

Wow, you just turned that from a great gingerbread house to an astonishing one by adding these leaves. What a talent you have. I feel like the recording was doubling the effort needed to construct the house, but I'd love to watch the full version of your baking, creating, mixing, melting... Probably took a good day or two to complete that? Awesome job Ann!

[@inge6280]

As one who struggles to put together even the simplest of ikea gingerbread kits I am truly amazed. Beautiful!!

[@liampouncy7808]

With all the debunking that you do it sometimes skips my mind that you're an incredibly talented baker (I'm a fool, I know). It was really cathartic to watch you make something so beautiful. Have a great day. xx

[@nadiaarchuleta7072]

Wow, what a gorgeous confection! I once made a gingerbread house following a recipe in a German cookbook. That gingerbread was about an inch thick -- MUCH thicker than any other recipe I've seen. The resulting house was also a simple, four-walled structure. Thank you so much for sharing your artistic work!

[@justalittlebitmo]

I've been excitedly awaiting this year's gingerbread house. So delighted with the result and love the delve into history 💛

[@bublisbroadcast5210]

This brings me great joy. I might make one in secret for me misses. She’s German and I like doing things like this for her. She has what can only be described as very German reactions. People think I’m nuts when they hear her talk about/critique it but her little smiles tell me everything I need to know.

[@liamaugust]

just found out about this channel and now watching every single video. "make it a great week by being kind to others" is such a lovely sign off. keep up the great work!

[@princessmoonwalker]

That gingerbread house is just beautiful! I look forward to these every year. Merry Christmas to you and your family.

[@Getthegroove]

I have loved the 150 year old series this is so cool. Merry Christmas to you Dave and the Boys 🎉🎉🎄🎄🎅🎅🎅

[@MiaMia0203]

I love your gingerbread house!! I really enjoyed and appreciate the historical talk and never realised that it was made of pancakes in that story!! 😆😆😆💕💕💕

[@smileygirl6457]

Wow your gingerbread houses just get more amazing every year Ann.❤😊

[@chasesgameden]

wow this is an amazing video. Crazy to see how far you have come in the past 6 years. keep up the great work!

[@alisonscurr4395]

I love the journey you take us through while building your Gingerbread house. Merry Christmas Ann, Dave, James, Matt and Jedd. Hope you all have a happy holiday and a wonderful New Year.

[@NicoleBazKhadij]

I have been waiting for your yearly gingerbread video! Love your work Ann 💖 Merry Christmas and Happy new year to you and your family!

[@DragTeaServed]

Now all I want is gingerbread! If only I had Ann's skill and patience 😆 Thanks Ann for another informative video!

[@HowToCookThat]

Thank you! Have a lovely christmas

[@NontpNonjo]

I can always rely on this channel to be quality, wholesome, and delicious! Have a Merry Christmas, and a Happy Advent for the 3 more days of patient expectation.

[@JG4689]

A beautiful creation Ann, and super soothing with the story alongside it. I am German but have lived in Australia (Townville, Brisbane) for 7 years, so love hearing the Aussie accent :) I will dive into some German-speaking research for you after the holidays :) Thanks for all the fantastic videos this year!

[@txlady1049]

Merry Christmas Ann, Dave, and the kids! Been enjoying your videos for years, keep up the good work! See you next year.

[@madamantiou]

Merry Christmas Ann & family!

[@cwilson284]

Ann: you are our Christmas gift from the universe. Keep producing such wonderful, important, and entertaining videos (and don't forget to include Dave!).

[@slopbucketeer6129]

I just watched tasting histories with max miller video on gingerbread and he made the version with breadcrumbs that you mentioned and they look like candies! Highly recommend watching. He goes into more detail about all the history she mentioned while actually trying the original recipe!

[@tigerrick]

Merry Christmas to Anne, Dave and boys and all of your followers on YT. Thank you for all of the brilliant videos you make all year. My daughter and I love watching them together. Happy 2024 everyone.

[@logicspock3110]

To add to gingerbread history I'm from Toruń, town in Poland which is famous for... gingerbreads! The very first mention of Toruń gingerbread comes from 1380 and speaks of a local baker called Niclos Czana. We didin't have a houses but a lot of fun shapes. It's Worth to check it out!

[@james-ansley]

Really liked the dive into the history of gingerbread houses! (Not to mention the gingerbread house itself) A vaguely related topic that I would find interesting would be an overview of food science-what it’s like studying and working as a food scientist. I’ve always found those parts of your videos interesting.

[@jellysammy]

In the 1400 recipe I recognised “canelle” which really sounds like our Dutch word for cinnamon (kaneel), made me think haha. I love these historical videos, Ann! Merry Christmas to you, Dave and the kids. 😊

[@Lu-wg4fg]

I love seeing you bake again. I like your debunking videos and everything, but I got to know you with all your beautiful cakes and other bakings. Especially a new gingerbread house every year and it makes me so happy to watch you make a new one❤ A late merry christmas and happy holidays for you and your family🎉

[@laurencourtice2803]

Every year I wait for your new ginger bread house An, and every year they outdo each other!

[@mjanmarino]

New HTCT video!! Always makes my Fridays better! Advanced Merry Christmas Ann and the family! ❤

[@HowToCookThat]

merry christmas @mjanmarino 🎄

[@Vickie-Bligh]

That was a lovely gingerbread house. This was a fun tale while you made this house. It was very entertaining as I love watching you bake and decorate (you're so good!). Thanks for sharing this, Ann. Happy Summer Solstice to you all and a very Happy Christmas. 🎄🤗❤

[@sapphireseptember]

It always seems weird to me that while we're having our shortest day up here you're having your longest, although it makes perfect sense. I always look forward to this turning point in winter and the days getting longer, it means we're on our way to spring! Happy summer solstice to you and everyone down south, and happy winter solstice to my fellow northerners! 😊

[@sectraaaaaa]

I look forward to the gingerbread house vidoes every year! Have a Happy Christmas and New Year Ann 💕

[@HowToCookThat]

Merry Christmas @sectraaaaaa

[@sarahwatts7152]

Oh I love the staircase and the ivy! Every year it's different, but this year is perhaps now my standing favorite of Ann's houses

[@sohrab3637]

I watch your channel for 5 years for many reasons but this time i was actually listening to the story you tell and didn't pay enough attention to the recipe 😅 You can do story telling for a hobby 👍🏼👍🏻

[@kidShibuya]

I don't know how to bake anything, I don't even have an oven. But I do know your videos are always entertaining and often educational. Thanks ;)

[@annablah9011]

I was just gathering ingredients for a gingerbread house! This is so beautiful Ann.

[@lhickman0628]

I love love love your gingerbread houses I look forward to it every year!! Makes my heart happy!!

[@MElaughs]

Awesome history and great editing. A beautiful finished piece. Thanks for always being a stable pillar on this platform. Merry Christmas and enjoy the summer ☮️❤️🎄 EDIT: thanks for including the cracking. It's important to let people know the challenges you can face when sculpting gingerbread.

[@Mads_Jewels]

I love the 100 Year old recipe series so much!

[@jo.comics]

Merry Christmas, Ann! All the best to you and your loved ones! ❤

[@OrangeyPo]

Every year your gingerbread house gets even better but this year it is truly a work of art. It looks AMAZING!!!!

[@athosvacanas2992]

I have waited for this for months! Excellent video as always Ann!❤ Merry Christmas to you and your family

[@HowToCookThat]

Merry Christmas @athosvacanas

[@jaegrant6441]

​@@HowToCookThatI saw the view counter jump by over 1000 views while watching this excellent video. Well done on almost 5Million subscribers!!!!

[@kathleensorajakarsodikromo3858]

Have a great weekend Ann

[@thomasm123]

Amazing gingerbread house! And it was interesting to hear what you'd found out about the history. I'm always blown away by how much time and effort goes into your gingerbread houses

[@Liz-nz7wv]

Thank you for the consistent and amazing content. ❤

[@marktwain8727]

Wonderful! Really enjoyed the research & also the original Hansel & Gretel story ... all while the most amazing gingerbread house was taking place on screen! Well done & Merry Christmas :D

[@womble901]

Hooray! When December rolled around, I was waiting for the annual gingerbread house. Incredible, as always. God's blessings to you too!

[@silasred6397]

You are one of the most wholesome people on the internet, I love watching your videos. You’re so kind and entertaining, your videos are always nice to watch when I’m feeling down or seeking comfort.❤️

[@lissbelfort7728]

out of all the amazing work in this video, i have to admit i was enchanted by the tiny leaves! how delicate and realistic they look, and how easy it is for you to get that wrist flick right. ann, you're a true artist! but i'm sure you're well aware of that XD thanks for sharing your research, your passion and your food with us! hope you & yours have a wonderful new year as well!

[@mrscb5303]

Every year …. You bring a little gingerbread joy to us, thank you! The house was gorgeous but the story was even better!! So fascinating😮 Happy Holidays all🧡🖤🧡

[@handsoffmycactus2958]

Merry Christmas, not happy holidays

[@handsoffmycactus2958]

Holidays to us in the UK and Australia are very different, what Americans call vacations. It’s Merry Christmas or Happy Christmas

[@A_nony_mous]

​@@handsoffmycactus2958 I, for one, am not a Christian, not am I a follower of any other organised religion, so saying Merry Christmas would be dishonest. I do however get the day off as a holiday so I say Happy Holidays. That covers Christmas, Hannukah and Kwanza.

[@suzannestrickland1586]

That is beautiful! Excellent work. It is always interesting to try to figure out where something originated. I appreciate the effort you put in to the information you present. I was just wondering a few days ago if we were going to get a gingerbread house video this year. So I was extra happy to receive the notification.

[@HowToCookThat]

Thanks @suzannestrickland1586 Merry Christmas

[@calandrocarlosalveslopes7697]

Ooh Anne! This is wonderful you really outdone yourself! Wishing you and your family family a happy and healthy holiday season!

[@spanglelime]

I kept checking for this year's video and I am not disappointed. Absolutely amazing, you outdid yourself again, Ann! It's beautiful ❤

[@loretta_3843]

I'm always amazed at the items you can make - here is yet another one! You are so resourceful and talented. I can't imagine the time and effort you've put into learning so many topics. Thank you for sharing all of your skill and knowledge with us🙋🏻‍♀️ and a lovely, safe and happy Christmas to you and your family and everyone watching out there, all the best for the New Year and thank you once again!🙋🏻‍♀️🧑‍🎄😊

[@DanielDo187]

Each year you amaze me with your talent and creativity. Designing, building, decorating this gigantic thing on your own is already impressive. Then, add to that, the lengths you go through to give us all that information. All of it while watching this gorgeous production of yours. The photography of your videos just keep getting better and better. Plus, you go the extra mile by adding overlays and rotoscoping it … you didn’t have to, but you did it. All of that is what makes you the best. And it’s why you will always be the best KZbin creator to me. Long live HTCT Happy holidays to you and the boys. ❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@dorothyirby5740]

Beautiful!!! What wonderful work!

[@fish_finger]

I look forward to your gingerbread house videos so much every year

[@reverendasmus]

Stunning! Absolutely gorgeous! Thank you for such joy in this video! Happy holidays!

[@teressarenslow5992]

Thanks for all you do and share with us! Happy Holidays to you and yours!

[@amandab6034]

All the Ann things I like, old recipes, history, soothing voice over cooking demo, amazing end product👍👍👍👍

[@leannafelts2276]

So excited I’m working on my gingerbread house and been waiting for Ann’s

[@RettaBrown-vo7td]

Congratulations, you nailed that gingerbread house. It is wonderfully whimsical. Happy and prosperous NEW YEAR!

[@rkne12dance]

I love watching your yearly gingerbread houses and this one is no exception. It is simply stunning and I love the curly wurly fences.

[@HowToCookThat]

Thank you & Merry Christmas!

[@michaelwhistler9786]

Just discovered this- really fantastic work, and a wonderful essay of facts on gingerbread! thank you for really bringing this holiday tradition into focus - and in creating a stunning masterwork of the confectioners art!

[@nataliegreen265]

How beautiful, elegant and intricate! Thank you for the history lesson as well!

[@heatherangel9700]

Always makes my day to see a new Ann baking video!

[@trudiethomas656]

Work of art. Love all the stories. Thank you all.

[@jacquelinebloom4339]

What a lovely gingerbread house! You are so talented snd have such confidence and patience.

[@bridgwll]

Merry Christmas Ann, Dave & family.

[@HowToCookThat]

Merry Christmas @bridgwll

[@madamek8656]

This year’s gingerbread house is so beautiful that watching you put it together warmed my heart a filled it with the joy and spirit of Christmas. I wish you and your family the very merriest of Christmases !!

[@barbarybcia]

This house is an absolute masterpiece! Thank you for this beautiful video!

[@ForbiddenChocolate]

Your gingerbread house is stunning! It was mesmerizing to watch it come together, you are truly gifted. I hope you and your family have a wonderful Christmas!

[@TheHopelessFan]

Lovely looking and i bet it is delicious. Ann never disappoints.