On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. It then gingerbread sleigh to a confection made with honey and spices. The meaning of gingerbread has evolved over time.

For centuries the term referred to a traditional European pastry, very like a modern cookie, traditionally used to make gingerbread men. It gained fame in the realm and abroad when it was brought to Sweden by German immigrants. Gingerbread was a popular treat at medieval European festivals and fairs, and there were even dedicated gingerbread fairs. The first documented trade of gingerbread biscuits in England dates to the 17th century, where they were sold in monasteries, pharmacies, and town square farmers’ markets. One hundred years later, the town of Market Drayton in Shropshire became known for its gingerbread, as is displayed on their town’s welcome sign, stating that it is the “home of gingerbread”.

Gingerbread came to the Americas with settlers from Europe. Molasses, less expensive than sugar, soon became a common ingredient and produced a softer cake. The first printed American cookbook, American Cookery by Amelia Simmons, contained seven different recipes for gingerbread. In England, gingerbread may refer to a cake, or type of cookie or biscuit made with ginger. In the biscuit form, it commonly takes the form of a gingerbread man.

Parkin is a form of soft gingerbread cake made with oatmeal and treacle which is popular in northern England, originating in Yorkshire. In the United States, this form of gingerbread is sometimes called “gingerbread cake” or “ginger cake” to distinguish it from the harder forms. French pain d’épices is somewhat similar, though generally slightly drier, and involves honey rather than treacle and uses less spice than other breads in this category. In the Netherlands and Belgium, a soft and crumbly gingerbread called peperkoek, kruidkoek or ontbijtkoek is popularly served at breakfast time or during the day, thickly sliced and often topped with butter. In Germany gingerbread is made in two forms: a soft form called Lebkuchen and a harder form, particularly associated with carnivals and street markets such as the Christmas markets that occur in many German towns. The hard gingerbread is made in decorative shapes, which are then further decorated with sweets and icing.

Dutch peperkoek or the German Lebkuchen, though it has wide regional variations. The cantons of Appenzell and St. In Russia, a gingerbread maker was first mentioned in Kazan cadastres in 1568. Some cities have traditional regional styles. Polish gingerbread that has been produced since the Middle Ages in the city of Toruń. In Czech Republic, gingerbread is called perník and it is a popular Christmas biscuit and a decoration.

Common shapes include hearts, stars and animals and gingerbread houses are also popular. In Romania, gingerbread is called turtă dulce and usually has sugar glazing. Traditionally the cookie is as big as the palm of a hand, round and flat, and with a thin layer of chocolate. Other common ingredients include honey, cinnamon, ginger, and dried clove. Another popular confection is quequi or queque, a chewy biscuit made with ginger, molasses, and coconut.