Gingerbread contests such as the San Diego Gingerbread City
shown in photos above are celebrated during the winter months,
usually before Christmas.
Do you love gingerbread
houses, castles and gingerbread men? You are not alone. Made
with the flavorful spice, ginger, these tasty cookies and cakes are
one of the traditions and most popular items Americans have adopted
from the German and Bavarian cultures.
Ginger is believed to have
been used even 3,000 years ago by Chinese who found its
anti-inflammatory properties effective in the body. Ginger grows in
the U.S., and though its use in gingerbread does not offer much
substance in this greatly diluted form, the smell of it alone, and
sight of gingerbread creations such as houses and castles offer no
better way to raise money for a non-profit charity event such as the
Epilepsy Foundation of San Diego County's annual Gingerbread City
gala. Pictured above are two competition entries.
Annually in late November or
early December, the event invites the public to enter the contest
with their creations. In addition, some of the top chefs from hotels
and resorts (such as Loews Coronado Bay Resort) is the San Diego
area enter their ornate designs for a special chefs competition
category. There aren't as many gingerbread contests as you'd expect
in a state that has one of the largest populations in the U.S. With
so many cultures and languages spoken in this major melting pot, the
gingerbread house tradition is slowly creeping into holiday
celebrations or making a comeback via the top chefs, hospitality
industry and wineries, especially. Several children's museums are
also eager to embrace the gingerbread effort, as well. In San Diego,
start looking for details about the annual event in the fall on the
sponsor website, www.epilepsysandiego.org
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