The History of Gingerbread

The first known gingerbread recipe comes from Greece in 2400 B.C., with Chinese and European versions following. Gingerbread cookies were especially popular in England, France, Holland, and Germany, where they were served as treats during Medieval fairs. Queen Elizabeth I is credited with being the first person to come up with the idea of decorating gingerbread cookies, and the first gingerbread house was made in Germany during the 16^th century. After the Brothers Grimm wrote Hansel and Gretel, the popularity of gingerbread houses soared. Today, there are many gingerbread house competitions, with the record for the largest being nearly 40,000 cubic feet!