Gingerbread cakes and cookies became related closely with Christmas though they were baked into shapes relevant to special celebrations. Few treats are as closely associated with Christmas as gingerbread. The Germans became famous for their shaped ginger creations. Nuremberg became the unofficial ginger capital of Europe, where artisans from other crafts-wood-cutters, sculptors, etc.-fashioned elaborate molds used by gingerbread bakers to make beautiful delicacies.
The word ginger probably comes from an ancient Sanskrit word-”sringavera”-which means “horn-shaped root”. All ginger comes from a rhizome we call ginger root, native to Asia, but grown extensively today in Jamaica. As well, we seem to have it embedded in our cultural consciousness that gingerbread is somehow inherently English and Victorian. But the history of gingerbread goes back much further than nineteenth century Europe.
Eventually, gingerbread-making became a highly respected profession in and of itself, completely distinct from other bakery professions. In Germany, England, and France, gingerbread bakers formed their own guilds, similar to unions, and were recognized by their respective governments.American gingerbread makes use of maple syrup and fewer spices in most recipes, lending a heavy sweetness not found in most European brands.