flipGingerbread from Clamecy Country
Gingerbread from Clamecy Country
Why this dish? Alain Colas was born in Clamecy, in the Nièvre, in the heart of Burgundy, land of gingerbread and honey. Dense, sweet, keeping for weeks, it is exactly the kind of hometown treat a sailor takes to sea for a comforting snack between maneuvers.
A dense honey and spice cake, moist and fragrant, that keeps well and can be eaten with one hand. The sweetness of native Burgundy stowed in the hold, for moments of fatigue.
I'm a guy from the Nièvre, from Clamecy, the land of honey and spices. Our gingerbread, dense and brown, stays moist for weeks — in other words, the perfect snack for the open sea. When morale flagged in the middle of the ocean, I'd grab a slice with one hand, the other on the helm, and the taste of honey would instantly take me back home. A taste of the homeland, that's also what keeps you going when the sea tries to break you.
- •Honey — abundant (sweetness and preservation)
- •Rye and wheat flour — half and half (dense base)
- •Spices (anise, cinnamon, ginger, clove) — to taste (signature aroma)
- •Baking soda (or sourdough) — a pinch (slight rise)
Gingerbread from Clamecy Country
A dense honey and spice cake, moist and fragrant, that keeps well and can be eaten with one hand. The sweetness of native Burgundy stowed in the hold, for moments of fatigue.
Why this dish? Alain Colas was born in Clamecy, in the Nièvre, in the heart of Burgundy, land of gingerbread and honey. Dense, sweet, keeping for weeks, it is exactly the kind of hometown treat a sailor takes to sea for a comforting snack between maneuvers.
I'm a guy from the Nièvre, from Clamecy, the land of honey and spices. Our gingerbread, dense and brown, stays moist for weeks — in other words, the perfect snack for the open sea. When morale flagged in the middle of the ocean, I'd grab a slice with one hand, the other on the helm, and the taste of honey would instantly take me back home. A taste of the homeland, that's also what keeps you going when the sea tries to break you.
Ingredients (period version)
- Honey — abundant (sweetness and preservation)
- Rye and wheat flour — half and half (dense base)
- Spices (anise, cinnamon, ginger, clove) — to taste (signature aroma)
- Baking soda (or sourdough) — a pinch (slight rise)
Ingredients
- Honey — 250 g (sweetness and moisture)
- Rye flour — 125 g (dense base)
- Wheat flour — 125 g (structure)
- Gingerbread spice mix (anise, cinnamon, ginger, clove, nutmeg) — 2 tsp (signature aroma)
- Milk — 10 cl (binder)
- Baking soda — 1 packet (or 1 tsp) (leavening)
- Egg — 1 (binder)
Method
- Warm the honey with the milk until it becomes liquid (do not boil).
- Mix the flours, spices, and baking soda in a bowl.
- Pour in the warm honey and beaten egg, mix into a smooth, thick batter.
- Pour into a greased loaf pan and bake at 160 °C for 45 to 50 minutes.
- Check with a knife, let cool, then wrap: it will be even better the next day and keeps for one to two weeks.
How it was made : Burgundy is a historic land of gingerbread (Dijon leading the way), a honey and spice cake inherited from the Middle Ages. Its density and sugar make it a long-lasting food, traditionally taken on journeys and valued for its energy boost — a precious asset for anyone going far and long.
The contemporary twist : Cut into cubes, glaze with a thin layer of honey, and present them as "high-seas ingots" to nibble.
Alain Colas · Charactorium
