Gingerbread man
 | |
| Type | Biscuit |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Medieval Europe |
| Main ingredients | Gingerbread |
 Cookbook: Gingerbread man  Media: Gingerbread man | |
A gingerbread man is a biscuit or cookie made of gingerbread, usually in the shape of a stylized human, although other shapes, especially seasonal themes (Christmas, Halloween, Easter, etc.) and characters, are common.
History
Gingerbread dates from the 15th century, and figural biscuit-making was practiced in the 16th century.[1] The first documented instance of figure-shaped gingerbread biscuits was at the court of Elizabeth I of England. She had the gingerbread figures made and presented in the likeness of some of her important guests.[2][3]
Characteristics
Most gingerbread men share a roughly humanoid shape, with stubby feet and no fingers. Many gingerbread men have a face, though whether the features are indentations within the face itself or other candies stuck on with icing or chocolate varies from recipe to recipe. Other decorations are common; hair, shirt cuffs, and shoes are sometimes applied, but by far the most popular decoration is shirt buttons, which are traditionally represented by gum drops, icing, or raisins.
In world records
According to the Guinness Book of Records, the world’s largest gingerbread man was made by the staff of the IKEA Furuset store in Oslo, Norway, on 9 November 2009. The gingerbread man weighed 1435.2 pounds (651kg).[4][5]
In fiction and popular culture
- "The Gingerbread Man" is a fairy tale about a gingerbread man who comes to life, outruns an elderly couple and various animals, and is devoured by a fox in the end.
- In Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's famous ballet The Nutcracker (1892), the eponymous hero leads an army of gingerbread men against the Mouse King and his fellows.
- The Gingerbread People are the main characters in the game Candy Land (1945).
- The Gingerbread Men were featured in The Muppet Show. In the "Don Knotts" episode, the Gingerbread Men sing the song "Sweet Gingerbread Man" as the opening number. The lead Gingerbread Man is a hand-rod Muppet performed by Frank Oz while the full-bodied Gingerbread Men were performed by Jim Henson, Dave Goelz, Richard Hunt, and Jerry Nelson.
- In the film The Brothers Grimm, a nightmarish twist on the Gingerbread Man appears. A young child is splashed with mud and the mud steals the child's eyes, nose and mouth. It then forms a small mud body with the child's stolen features for a face. The creature grabs the child and absorbs her into itself. It runs off yelling, "You can't catch me; I'm the Gingerbread Man!"
- Canadian Children's musicians, Andrew Queen and the Campfire Crew, wrote a popular song accompanied by an animated video in which the Gingerbread Man outfoxes the fox and is accidentally tossed across the river to safety. Gingerbread Man music video
References
- ↑ 300 Years of Kitchen Collectibles, Linda Campbell Franklin, 4th edition [Books Americana: New York] 1998 (p. 183)
- ↑ "A History of Gingerbread Men". Ferguson Plarre Bakehouses. Archived from the original on 7 August 2013. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
- ↑ Donald F. Lach (2010). "Asia in the Making of Europe, Volume II: A Century of Wonder. Book 3: The Scholarly Disciplines, Volume 2". p. 442. University of Chicago Press
- ↑ "Largest gingerbread man". Guinness Book of Records website. Retrieved 24 December 2014.
- ↑ Sands, Ali (24 December 2013). "Gingerbread House Takeover". Tailgate Fan. Retrieved 24 December 2014.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Gingerbread men. |