Hello again there, folks. The lovely, warm, Christmas aroma of homemade German gingerbread spice mix is a fragrance that evokes cosy feelings, and it’s actually quite easy to make your own and enjoy it – in gingerbread, of course, but in so much more!
What Is Lebkuchen Gewürz?
Lebkuchen is German for “gingerbread” and Gewürz means “spice,” so it’s quite literally gingerbread spice – but the German variety may be different from what is used in America, for example.
When I lived in Germany, supermarkets like Edeka often had various pre-packaged gingerbread spice mixes, especially at Christmas time. I’m actually quite a fan of pre-packaged spice mixes for their convenience, but you do lose out on controlling the quantities of each. Moreover, in many places like here in Portugal, I can’t readily buy the same Lebkuchen Gewürz packets so popular over in Germany.
The biggest benefit to making your own gingerbread spice mix is the freshness. Grinding your own spices keeps more of their aromatic oils fresher for longer, so it’s better quality and cheaper than buying pre-made mixes.
Ingredients for gingerbread spice mix
Homemade gingerbread spice mix is quick and easy to make, more fragrant than packaged spice mixes, and highly flexible. Since Lebkuchen are so popular across Germany, there are so many variations on the recipes used, and that includes spice mixes.
I would argue that some of the spices are absolutely essential, but most of them are pretty optional and the quantities can be adjusted to your liking anyway. So if you can’t find one or several of these spices fresh or even powdered, don’t fuss, just adjust. All of the spices should create an overall warm, cosy, and aromatic mix.
I’ve put the ingredients for my mix below with the spice names in German, just for fun if you care to learn a little!
- Cinnamon (Zimt): warm, spicy, and sweet, so a natural inclusion. Indeed, this should be the bulk of your spice mix.
- Ginger (Ingwer): I don’t think you can really call it gingerbread without a little ginger, so it’s a must.
- Cloves (Nelke): peppery, strong, and very “Christmas” feeling. I find this to be a core spice, but use it sparingly.
- Nutmeg (Muskatnuss): aromatic and a little spicy, but warm. A little nutmeg goes a long way, both in gingerbread mixes and in general.
- Cardamom (Kardamom): spicy and warm, a wonderful spice to round out the others. Remember to open the pods and just use the seeds.
- Star Anise (Anis): a little sweet, a little like liquorice. Since many folks don’t have the acquired taste for liquorice as many Dutchmen do, you could skip this but I find it wonderful.
How to use German gingerbread spice
Obviously, German gingerbread spice is used to make authentic German Lebkuchen. It’s in the name, but it’s so deep and aromatic that it really is one of the signature aromas of all things Christmas.
For this reason, it’s an excellent spice to use in practically any Christmas baking recipe. You can add it to things like cakes, brownies, apple pie, apple compote, banana bread, Glühwein, or even in tea or coffee. Add it to a homemade latte and I’m sure you’ll find it much cheaper and better quality than your fancy-pants high street Christmas spiced latte.
📜History of gingerbread spices
The heart of traditional German Lebkuchen is in the gingerbread spice mix itself. Many of the spices we use today are the product of globalisation, but the spices used in mediaeval Germany were far more limited.
It’s believed that crusaders returning from the Holy Land brought back ginger, as the Asian root and several other spices (e.g. cloves, mace, cardamom) were available through the spice trade. Ginger was known in antiquity; however, it was extremely expensive and mainly used for medicinal purposes rather than culinary taste.
German gingerbread spice mixes have never been standardised, but they became refined and popularised in several parts of the Holy Roman Empire and elsewhere, particularly in Nuremberg (Nürnberg) at the end of the 14th century. By the start of the 17th century, Nuremberg became par excellence the “gingerbread capital” of the world.
Tips & tricks for homemade gingerbread spice mixes
Although it’s called gingerbread spice, cinnamon should make up the bulk of the blend. All other spices add their own unique aromas, but many of these spices can be quite overwhelming when used heavily. Adjust your quantities to your liking.
When grinding fresh spices, grind about 1-2 months’ worth of spices at a time and store in an airtight container. It will keep beyond that, but it loses its potency. This recipe will give you more than enough to make a batch of about 30 Lebkuchen with plenty of spice to spare, so scale down if you only want to make a batch of gingerbread cookies.
If using a coffee grinder, keep in mind that your grinder will smell like spices going forward. Maybe that’s not a bad thing, but it will take a bit of washing for the smell to start to wear off.
Description
Homemade Lebkuchen Gewürz (gingerbread spice mix) is a highly versatile blend of cinnamon, ginger, cloves, star anise, nutmeg, cardamom, and any other spices you enjoy. All you'll need is a blender and a couple of minutes, but make sure to measure carefully so that the mix is balanced and not too overwhelming.
Ingredients
Instructions
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Prepare any fresh spices, i.e. break cinnamon into small pieces, open cardamom pods and discard shells, chop anise into small chunks.
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Combine all ingredients into a coffee grinder or spice grinder. If making a large batch, only add enough at a time to fill up the grinder and do it in batches.
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Pulse for a few seconds, repeating until finely ground.
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Place in an airtight container and mix all spices to combine.
Note
- Storage: can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for several months, although the aroma will weaken after the first month and especially after 2+ months.
- Applications: Lebkuchen, spiced cakes, Christmas cakes and cookies, mulled wine, tea, coffee, and more.
- Grinder: your grinder will smell like Christmas spices for quite a while afterwards. Either use a dedicated spice grinder or let the aroma gradually wear off after some time and washing.
