Chow Down Chicago: Good Eats from the Windy City

Gingerbread has been around for a very long time, and this ancient treat has been thought to be medicinal, lucky, romantic, magical, and even evil. Here are some highlights from the long and sometimes strange history of gingerbread. According to some food historians, the first recipe for gingerbread dates to 2400 BC Greece. Some believe gingerbread was introduced to Western Europe in 992 AD, when the Armenian monk Gregory of Nicopolis moved to France from Greece and taught Christian bakers how to make it. Gingerbread became a popular treat at festivals in medieval Europe. Gingerbread fairs were held in France and England, where gingerbread was bought and exchanged as a love token. People also ate gingerbread to spark some desired outcome in their lives. Heart-shaped gingerbread cookies were eaten by those searching for love or wanting to ward off evil. Rabbit-shaped gingerbread cookies were believed to increase fertility. Some ladies would give their favorite knights a piece of gingerb...