The Legend of Elisenlebkuchen

Have you ever wondered how Elisenlebkuchen got their name? According to legend, they were named after Elisabeth, the daughter of a Nuremberg gingerbread baker. The story says that the gingerbread baker loved his daughter very much, especially because his wife had already died from disease. One day his beloved daughter also grew ill.

[Translate to English:] Nürnberger Lebkuchen - Foto: Uli Kowatsch

No doctor could help her and the baker was deeply distressed. In his despair he thought of a special cure. As a gingerbread baker he knew how valuable oriental spices were, so he baked a specially-spiced lebkuchen just for his Elisabeth. He used no flour, only the finest ingredients. And Elisabeth gained strength and grew healthy. Since then, the finest gingerbread bears her name.

Where ever the name comes from or whether or not the story is true, Elisenlebkuchen are a treat. Today, Elisenlebkuchen can contain no more than 10% flour. They are baked with cinnamon, vanilla, cloves, coriander, allspice, nutmeg, ginger and cardamom for the typical lebkuchen aroma.