A Christmas sweet, Stollen
It is around 15 days that we are waiting for Christmas.
Today, I would like to talk about a Christmas sweet.
Have you ever heard 'Stollen'?
This sweet, which starts eating around 4 weeks before Christmas is originally from Germany.
It was born in Germany in 1329. Since the stollen was born, it has been given to bishop as a Christmas present. The stollen is like a poundcake with dried fruits, and can be preserved for 1-3 months, different from the other sweets.
At the time the stollen was born, people were not allowed to eat butter and milk during fast following Catholic belief. Therefore, it was made of only distilled flour, water, yeast, and canola oil in early years. The taste was not good with such simple ingredients. In 1491, Innocent, the 8th bishop asked the Pope in Vatican to be allowed to use butter instead of canola oil. Since then, it is said the taste of stollen has been improved gradually, mixing dried fruits as well as sugared nuts to have eaten like nowadays. In this way, Stollen has not been 'just a simple sweet during fast' but has been changed as a 'celebrating sweet'.
On the first Saturday of December in Dresden Germany, Stollen festival will be held. You can see a huge Stollen which has registered Guinness book at the festival!
'Stollen' originally means a mining roadway in German. However, it is also said this sweet seems like a Jesus wearing white baby cloth just after he was born because of long-round shape covered with the surface of white sugar.
Christmas is coming soon. Why don't you eat delicious Stollen while thinking about its history and spending cheerful and delightful Christmas with your friends and family this year?
Thank you for joining me as always.
See you next time!
Teacher Asuka
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