The Leipziger Lerche is a pastry of Leipzig. The name originates from the singing bird lark (German:Lerche) which was roasted with herbs and eggs or served as a filling in pastries. In the year 1720 alone, 400.000 of those bird were sold in Leipzig as a delicacy.[1]
The hunt of the singing birds was officially banned by the saxonian King Albert I in 1876 after recognition of their agricultural importance.[2] According to the Vienna Appetit-Lexikon, larks were still exported from Leipzig at the end of the 19th century.[3] It is passed on that today's pastry replaced the traditional meat filled pastry.[4]
Today's version consists of a shortcrust filled with a mixture of smashed almonds, nuts and a cherry. The cherry symbolises the heart of the bird. It is topped with a grid of two crossed dough strips. The term Leipziger Lerche is protected by the saxonian bakery guild since 2004.