Best Lebkuchen in Nuremberg / Bester Lebkuchen

The Nürnberger Nachrichten recently tested Lebkuchen to find the best (I’m surprised the link still works – it probably won’t for long). The result was obvious, but I suppose one must allow them to indulge themselves.

Nach dieser Absolution liegt schon im ersten Durchgang die Bäckerei Düll aus der Mathildenstraße 28 vorne. Ihr weißer Elisenlebkuchen holt Note 1, weil er üppig und perfekt aussieht, gut duftet und seine mit Feingefühl dosierten Gewürze lange nachschmecken. ‘Saftig und dick’ entfaltet auch das Schokoladenexemplar (1 minus). Mit Piment, Kardamom, Muskat und mehr, dezent, aber anhaltend im Abgang, entlocken die Düllschen Produkte Tester Reitzner den Seufzer: ‘Wirklich eine ganze Mahlzeit.’ Und eine gute dazu. Qualität hat ihren Preis: Fünf Stück kosten 8,95 Euro.

(Following the absolution (of Pope Benedict with regard to Lebkuchen in general – he likes it), Bäckerei Düll of Mathildenstraße 28 leads the field in the very first round. Their white Elisenlebkuchen gets top marks (1): it looks luxurious and perfect, it smells good, and its judiciously measured spices linger on the palate. The chocolate-covered version is also ‘succulent and thick’ (1-). With allspice, cardamom, nutmeg and more, subtle, but with a long finish, the Düll Lebkuchen leads the tester Reitzner to sigh, ‘Really, a whole meal in itself’. And a good one. Quality has its price: five cost 8.95 euros.)

Man kann Düll Lebkuchen auch übers Internet bestellen, sowie per Telefon und Fax. Die Bilder auf der Website sind irreführend schlecht.

Elisen Lebkuchen is the name of the most expensive quality, only a maximum of 7% of which is flour – the rest is fruit and nuts. The local bakeries make Lebkuchen that is slightly soft and chewy, not dried out.

Düll (English and German)

6 thoughts on “Best Lebkuchen in Nuremberg / Bester Lebkuchen

  1. I’m munching a sample from the yearly Christmas care package that just arrived from my family. Haeberlein-Metzger since early youth, though I admit that some of the smaller bakeries make even better ones. Oh, and “schokoliert” — does this adjective apply to anything but Lebkuchen?

  2. Well, that’s what these are – the product of a smaller bakery.
    I found out that some of my colleagues in Nürnberg send clients Lebkuchen at the end of the year. I forget whether it’s Haeberlein-Metzger, but one firm will deliver free of charge in Germany, although not to Paris.
    Google applies schokolieren quite widely, from Gelee-Bananen to espresso beans.

  3. Excellent translation into English. Absolution I find strnage to kick off the piece. Shouldn’t it be a ein Segen/a blessing of the gingerbread rather than forgiveness of the unsinful makers of the product.

  4. This, as you see, is the previous sentence:

    Dass Papst Benedikt eine Vorliebe für den kulinarischen Sündenfall made in Nürnberg hat, gibt die Katholische Nachrichtenagentur ganz aktuell mit auf den Weg.

  5. Ah, thanks for the Sündenfall/sinful background! The Pope probably prefers Sachertorte to Lebkuchen, that is direct from the Sacherhotel in Vienna but – as a Bavarian – is not ‘allowed’ to admit it.

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