In North America, when we think of “gingerbread” we often think of people-shaped cookies with gumdrop buttons and icing sugar smiles. While these are more accurately referred to as “gingerbread men” the only thing they have in common with traditional gingerbread is that telltale spicy flavour profile. Classic gingerbread is just that, bread. Or perhaps more accurately, a loaf. Because of this, it is also known as gingerloaf, pain d'épices ("spice bread") in French, or lebkuchen (“loaf cake”) and pfefferkuchen ("pepper cake") in German. Whatever you call it, it’s damn tasty and wonderfully warming especially during the winter months when most mouths savour the spicy flavours of this delightfully dense folk food...