I’ve had a shocking amount of mediocre gingerbread in my life. Enough, in fact, that for many years I thought I simply didn’t like it. Even though I love ginger and I love sweet breads.
It was too dry. Sawdusty. Heavy. Thick. Crisp and sweet in the wrong way.
And so I avoided it. Until I found myself in a fresh market in Paris a few years ago and stumbled upon a homemade loaf. It was rich, dark brown, probably from the molasses, with a sticky-looking top, and plumper than any gingerbread I’d ever seen.
Intrigued, I purchased a loaf…and proceeded to devour it slice-by-slice over the course of about 48 hours with cut strawberries and whipped cream on top.
That loaf is still one of my favorite foodie memories. And so now when I see gingerbread, I stop and taste. Most of it is still too dry for me. But I was happy to discover that on my recent trip to Alsace, France, a small touristy-looking stand was selling very good gingerbread indeed.
The secret, she said, is honey. No sugar. Just honey and lots of it. Two types of flour and honey.
We bought a large loaf and two mini loaves featuring chocolate chips and rum. And the original loaf we ate plain with milk and sometimes spread with blueberry jam.
The name of the lovely little gingerbread vendor is Fohrer Thierry and you’ll find her alone the cobblestone road that circles the old walls of Eguisheim.
Address: 14 Rue du Rempart Sud
Phone: +33 06 59 35 66 01
Email: thierry.fohrer@sfr.fr
What (else) to do in Eguisheim
Eguisheim is a pretty little town that was voted most beautiful in France in 2013. Most people come to stroll and take photos and enjoy the adorable architecture. If you’re here by bike or car, other nearby towns worth visiting include Colmar and Kaysersberg (the latter of which was probably my favorite charming Alsace town).