december-2009

THE BUZZ | GINGERBREAD
★ TASTE OF CHRISTMAS > 4–6 DECEMBER
LONDON
Christmas has
many different
meanings to those
who celebrate it,
but there is one
thing that rings
true for most:
Christmas includes
eating, gorging
and feasting on
wonderfully rich
food. And what
better way to
prep yourself for
Home Sweet Home
Gingerbread houses originate in Germany,
Austria and Scandinavia, where they top
the list of spicy, sweet festive treats
salivating snacks
and mammoth
main courses than
Taste of Christmas,
held at the ExCel
centre in London.
Like its summer
equivalent, Taste of
London, this festival
celebrates food
over a three-day
period, with dishes
from 18 of London’s
top restaurants,
including L’Anima,
30 | TRAVELLER | DECEMBER 09
Sumosan and
Tamarind.
Gastronomes
and novices alike
can sample the
capital’s best chefs’
on-trend seasonal
dishes and pick up
a few tips to wow
their guests come
Christmas Day.
Wander through
more than 150
stalls set up by
gourmet cuisine
companies and
artisan producers,
and pick up
everything from the
all-important turkey
to lip-smacking
wines, decadent
chocolate creations
and even table
decorations. Plenty
of inspiration for
the big day.
tasteofchristmas.
com
Claire Martin
TASTE
BUDS
IF THE SPIRIT of
Christmas has a
house to retire to
after a hard day
spreading festive
cheer, it probably
looks like this. A
fairytale dwelling,
enticingly lit from
within, laden with
dollops of sugar
snow, and entirely
edible from the roof
tiles to the front
door. In Scandinavia,
Austria, and
Germany, where the
gingerbread house
originated, you will
be enchanted by
the sight and aroma
of these beautiful
baked creations
everywhere you go
at Christmas time.
Gingerbread
has a long and
rich history that
goes back to the
11th century, when
spices were brought
back to Europe
from the Middle
East by crusaders
and pilgrims. In
addition to its
exotic spicy fl avour,
ginger has always
been credited with
medicinal benefi ts;
to aid digestion,
prevent colds and
ease nausea. It
was also prized
for its preservative
qualities and bakers
began using it in
confections. Its
status as a portable,
early super-food
and fl avour
enhancer made it
extremely popular.
During festivals
and feast days in
the Middle Ages,
you were never
far from a piece of
gingerbread, which
was made into
elaborate shapes
by Catholic monks
and pressed into
special carved
wooden moulds
whose decorations
included animals,
fl owers and biblical
scenes. In Medieval
England it was sold
at gingerbread fairs
and ladies would
present gingerbread
favours to knights
at jousting
tournaments.
In some English
PHOTO © PHOTOLIBRARY