Gingerbread making tradition goes centuries or better to say thousands of years back. Knowledge of honey, fire and flour was the main prerequisite for the man to delight in the art of gingerbread making. It was the prehistoric man who first came with the idea of mixing flour and wild honey together. As a result, he was left with sweet bun being baked in a clay mould. Of course, first products were quite primitive in shape, quality and taste.
In initial stages, going back to the Middle Ages, this art was called honey - craft, later to be transformed into gingerbread making, thanks to the wooden carved moulds being used for its production. At the beginning, gingerbread was usually baked in monasteries (for sacral purposes), on estates and also, in a very simplified way, in folks' households. "Mass" production at that time was a domain of artisans called gingerbread makers. According to survived written evidence, this craft existed on the territory of present Slovakia as early as in the 14th century. As recorded in old manuscripts dating back to 1379 and 1434, Prespork gingerbread makers were obliged to pay taxes.
This craft acquired a distinctively more artistic approach only in the 16th century, reaching its pinnacle between the 17th and the first half of the 19th century when it was widespread all over Europe. Art of gingerbread making was closely linked to mould woodcarving tradition. Wooden moulds used to give a special shape to gingerbread. A good gingerbread maker had to be skilled also in woodcarving art.
Gradually, with general development of society and growing artisans' competition, gingerbread mixture was being improved by adding flavour and aromatic enhancements. Gingerbread mixture was prepared from rye flour and boiled honey as main ingredients. Products were being sold on regular weekly markets and annual craft fairs. Mead and alcohol-free honey drink were often complementing the gingerbread trading. The whole process was taking part under so called "siatre" which were basically very primitive stalls. Honey and gingerbread formed a staple part of the food chain those days.
In ancient times, mixture was poured into and baked in clay moulds. Later on, dough was baked in a decoration-free round flat wooden mould. At the peak of gingerbread making, beautifully carved wooden moulds with Gothic or Renaissance ornaments were used. The next step in decoration evolution, decorations were being enriched by Slovak folk ornaments and compositions. Oldest survived and preserved moulds originate in the 16th century. Thanks to their artistic value and varied style, these moulds have become an important part of our heritage.
Bratislava (formerly Prespork) became a centre of gingerbread making not only in whole Slovakia, but also in whole Hungarian Empire. The first former Hungarian Empire gingerbread makers guild was established rightfully in this town. As already previously mentioned, many various and precious moulds were utilized there; this practice was not uncommon to other parts of Slovakia as well. Most distinct examples of such moulds were preserved in Kosice (1631) and in Banska Bystrica (1635). It is assumed that in the past on the territory of Slovakia there must have been one very important and respected woodcarvers workshop or family, because of the common features reflected on the preserved moulds.
Gingerbread was produced in many various forms and shapes, depending on the recipient. Horses, trumpets, rifles, critters, fairytale characters, dolls and many others were main favourites with those days youngest generation. Youths and adults favoured chiefly heart-shaped gingerbread, which were very common. Stags (symbols of spring and power), farmer figures, ladies with fans, knights, hussars (cavalrymen), fools, devils, death figure, cradles, etc, were also popular and well-sought after. At the height of the gingerbread tradition, gingerbread shapes inspired by secular as well as sacral life. For instance, a lady and a gentleman travelling by coach, hunting motifs, knight tournaments, etc. depicted the images of secular life. Adam and Eve motifs, the Nativity, the Christ on the Cross, the Three Magi, etc were typical for religious side of those days life.
The first gingerbread makers guild association on the territory of nowadays Slovakia - The Main Guild Treasury - was established, following a separation from the Vienna Central Guild, in Bratislava in 1619. The Treasury administered the whole territory of former Hungarian Empire, becoming thus a principal centre of Hungarian gingerbread production. Later, many smaller independent guilds were being gradually set up across the whole country, guaranteeing the high standard and professional approach.
Gingerbread craftsmanship and closely related woodcarving tradition started jointly to decline in the second half of the 19th century. Reasons for this decline were numerous. Among them, the most serious was the general development of confectionery manufacturing, which products were gradually replacing a role of gingerbread on households menu. To fight fierce competition, gingerbread makers started to use food substitutes instead of original ingredients. Logically, this "method" reduced dramatically the quality of traded products. Another grave reason was, that due to a cheap mass production of iron moulds used to date, interest in traditional wooden carved moulds was dwindling and finally disappeared for good.
Modern gingerbread was characterised by unsightly sugary decorations, pictures and mirrors stuck on their surface. Originally, gingerbread was never surface painted, they took their colour from the gingerbread mixture. Using odd, incongruous bright paints greatly lowered the overall artistic impression of modern products.
Gingerbread tradition has successfully survived all reputation damaging periods to these days. It's still very much a part of many Christmas tables in all corners of Slovakia. Methods and recipes differ regionally a great deal; so do shapes and decorations. In the most simplified way, gingerbread is left plain, decoration-free. Otherwise, white sugary mixture is the most popular decoration material being used.
We feel a kind of "obliged," after talking quite extenssively about Slovak gingerbread tradition, to add a couple of recipies for their preparation.
300 grams of honey 250 grams of icing sugar 700 grams of wheat fine flour 3 eggs 30 grams of shredded lemon rind 10 grams of cinnamon 5 grams of anise 5 grams of cloves 10 grams of raising agent called ammonium chloride Method: Melt honey and sugar over water heated to 40 degress centigrade.Add ground anise, cinnamon and cloves,ammonium chloride and lemon rind. Mix together and process to fine dough adding flour and eggs. Use wooden worktop for kneading. Ready dough leave to leaven for 5 hours. Then mince the dough using meat mincing machine. Knead it again and then cut it into smaller pieces. Roll them thoroughly to 3-5 milimetre thick plates. Cut them out into various shapes ( using favourite cutters). Place them on greasy paper/foil. Put them into well preheated oven and bake till golden brown. Brush them with a mixed egg while still hot. Decorate them with white icing when cooled down. |