Like many Christmas traditions, the origin of this delicious custom lies ages ago, in solstice rituals conducted long before Christmas became the huge commercial holiday it is today. Winter solstice festivals have been held for eons, across the world. Celebrations revolved around food.
像許多圣誕節(jié)傳統(tǒng)一樣，這道好吃的傳統(tǒng)美食也有好多年歷史了，早在圣誕節(jié)變成現(xiàn)在這種商業(yè)節(jié)日之前好久，姜餅就已經(jīng)是冬至儀式的一部分了。人類慶祝冬至日已經(jīng)有幾千年的歷史的，而食物一直是慶?；顒?dòng)的中心。

By the Middle Ages, the Christmas holiday had overtaken solstice rituals throughout much of present-day Europe. However, the old feast traditions remained. The pastry world was experiencing some amazing changes. Spices like?nutmeg, cinnamon and black pepper were just starting to be widely used, and dried exotic fruits like?citron,?apricots?and dates added sweetness and?texture?to the dessert tray.
到中世紀(jì)，今天歐洲的大部分地區(qū)已經(jīng)用圣誕節(jié)取代了冬至，然而舊的筵席傳統(tǒng)卻保留了下來。不過，面點(diǎn)做法發(fā)生了巨大變化。像肉豆蔻、肉桂和黑胡椒這樣的香辛料開始被廣泛應(yīng)用，像香櫞、杏和大棗這樣的熱帶果干則為甜點(diǎn)增添了甜度和質(zhì)地。

These items, along with ingredients like sugar,?lard?and butter, would have been prized as expensive delicacies by medieval cooks. Only on the most important holiday could families afford treats like these. And unlike pies or cakes, cookies could be easily shared and given to friends and neighbors.
這些材料以及糖、葷油、黃油對(duì)中世紀(jì)的大廚來說都是昂貴的佳肴，普通家庭只有在最重要的節(jié)日才能吃上這些美味。而且餅干跟派或者蛋糕不一樣，它可以被很方便地分享，能分給朋友和鄰居。

Though cookies have come a long way since medieval times, some things haven’t changed. Many Christmas cookies are still heavily spiced. We think of “traditional” Christmas flavors like cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger.
雖然，中世紀(jì)以后餅干有很長(zhǎng)的演變過程，但有些東西從未改變過。很多圣誕餅干依舊大劑量地使用香辛料，我們一想到“地道的”圣誕口味就會(huì)想到肉桂、肉豆蔻和姜的味道。

Gingerbread is a classic Christmas cookie, and yet it’s also a cookie that would have tasted?strikingly?similar back in the Middle Ages. These cooks would not have made gingerbread men, however. The first person to try that was none other than Queen Elizabeth I of England, who had the cookie?molded?into the shapes of her favorite courtiers.
姜餅是一款經(jīng)典款的圣誕餅干，而且它現(xiàn)在的味道和中世紀(jì)時(shí)的基本一樣。然而那時(shí)卻沒有姜餅小人。第一個(gè)做姜餅小人的不是別人，正是英國(guó)女王伊麗莎白一世，她把餅干做成了她最喜愛的大臣的形狀。

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