Lebkuchen

Lebkuchen

Nürnberger Lebkuchen with almonds and sugar coating, of the Elisen type (Elisenlebkuchen)
Alternative names	Pfefferkuchen
Type	Cake
Place of origin	Germany
Region or state	Franconia
Main ingredients	Honey, spices (aniseed, coriander, cloves, ginger, cardamom, allspice), nuts (almonds, hazelnuts, and walnuts), candied fruit

Lebkuchen (German pronunciation: [ˈleːpˌku:xn]), or Pfefferkuchen, is a traditional German baked Christmas treat, somewhat resembling gingerbread.

The etymology of Leb- in the term Lebkuchen is uncertain. Proposed derivations include: from the Latin libum (flat bread), from the Germanic word Laib (loaf), and from the Germanic word lebbe (very sweet). Another likely possibility is that comes from the old term Leb-Honig, the rather solid crystallized honey taken from the hive, that cannot be used for much beside baking. Folk etymology often associates the name with Leben (life), Leib (body), or Leibspeise (favorite food). Kuchen means 'cake'.

The forerunner of today's Lebkuchen was called the "honey cake", and its history can be traced back to the Egyptians, the Greeks, and the Romans. They believed that honey, the only sweetener widely available to them, was a gift of the deities and had magical and healing powers. Honey cakes were also worn as a talisman in battle or as protection against evil spirits.

Lebkuchen was invented by monks in Franconia, Germany in the 13th century. Lebkuchen bakers were recorded as early as 1296 in Ulm, and 1395 in Nürnberg (Nuremberg). The latter is the most famous exporter today of the product known as Nürnberger Lebkuchen (Nuremberg Lebkuchen).

Local history in Nuremberg relates that emperor Friedrich III held a Reichstag there in 1487 and he invited the children of the city to a special event where he presented Lebkuchen bearing his printed portrait to almost four thousand children. Historically, and due to differences in the ingredients, Lebkuchen is also known as "honey cake" () or "pepper cake" (). Traditionally, the cookies are usually quite large and may be 11.5 cm (4.5 in) in diameter if round, and larger if rectangular.