Appenzell beaver
The Appenzeller Biber is a gingerbread specialty from the Appenzellerland . As a product, the specialty also has a long tradition in the neighboring canton of St. Gallen (see below for the origin of the word).
description
The large beavers, the actual beaver patties, contain natural honey and are unfilled. Smaller beavers, so-called Biberli, are filled and common in Switzerland as a snack.
A picture is often embossed on the gingerbread filled with an almond or nut filling, which often shows a bear , Appenzell's heraldic animal.
history
It is proven that the Appenzeller beaver was first baked in the 16th century. Flatbreads of a similar type used to be widespread throughout Central Europe, and the first Swiss Bible tenters, i.e. Bible tent bakers, can be found in Basel and Zurich in the 14th century.
Word origin
The word beaver is a shortening of Beaver tents and beaver flat bread and dips in the 14th century than in sources of eastern Switzerland and neighboring Constance bimenzelte on. The defining word bimen (t) goes back to the Latin pigmentum and describes the spice allspice , namely clove pepper . A tent (n) is a flat piece of cake (this is where the dialect Zältli for 'bonbon' comes from ), just like a flat cake means a flat piece of cake .
Already in the 16th century is next to bimenzelten also bibenzelten handed down, and in the 19th century, the case surfaced beaver tents or even beaver wafers beaver on. The first part of the word Biment , which is apparently no longer understood , was therefore reinterpreted in folk etymology after the animal name beaver .
The derivation from the plant genus Bibernelle , which also includes the spice aniseed, is not possible due to the history of the word.
literature
- Albert Spycher: East Switzerland Gingerbread Book, Herisau 2000.
- Schweizerisches Idiotikon , Volume IV Column 923: Beaver II, meaning 4 ( digitized version ); the (undoubtedly much more comprehensive) article Bibelententen there still pending.
Web links
- Appenzeller Biber, Biberli in the database of Swiss culinary heritage
- Biberfladen in the database of Culinary Heritage of Switzerland
Individual evidence
- ↑ History Information page on the history of the Bärli Biber of Bischofberger AG (appenzeller-biber.ch)
- ^ Albert Spycher: Ostschweizer Lebkuchenbuch, Herisau 2000.
- ↑ For the following cf. Albert Spycher: Ostschweizer Lebkuchenbuch, Herisau 2000 and Biber II, meaning 4, with annotation, in the Swiss Idiotikon.