![Confectionery (47810754451)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a2/Confectionery_%2847810754451%29.jpg)
A ''Konditorei'' is a business that typically offers a wide variety of
pastries
Pastry is baked food made with a dough of flour, water and shortening (solid fats, including butter or lard) that may be savoury or sweetened. Sweetened pastries are often described as '' bakers' confectionery''. The word "pastries" suggests ...
and typically also serves as a
café
A coffeehouse, coffee shop, or café is an establishment that primarily serves coffee of various types, notably espresso, latte, and cappuccino. Some coffeehouses may serve cold drinks, such as iced coffee and iced tea, as well as other non ...
, these are found in many different countries including Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, Denmark, Sweden, the Czech Republic, and more. However the culture and function of the ''Konditorei'' may vary based on locations. In
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
,
Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
, and
Switzerland it's a popular custom to go in the mid-afternoon to a ''Konditorei'' to have a portion of
cake and some
coffee
Coffee is a drink prepared from roasted coffee beans. Darkly colored, bitter, and slightly acidic, coffee has a stimulating effect on humans, primarily due to its caffeine content. It is the most popular hot drink in the world.
Seeds of ...
or
hot chocolate
Hot chocolate, also known as hot cocoa or drinking chocolate, is a heated drink consisting of shaved chocolate, melted chocolate or cocoa powder, heated milk or water, and usually a sweetener like whipped cream or marshmallows. Hot chocolate ...
to consume on the premises. A similar culture is present in several northern European countries influenced by central European trends, such as
Denmark
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, song_type = National and royal anthem
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, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark
, establish ...
and
Sweden (however these are called konditori or café/kafé). In order to become a ''Konditor'', the speciality baker for a ''Konditorei'', the profession (in many countries) requires an extensive apprenticeship or speciality training program. In the Czech Republic, such shops are usually called ''cukrárna'' (sugar shop) and their Polish variants are named ''cukiernia'' (same meaning).
About
The primary focus of a ''Konditorei'' is selling pastries, which may be made in-house or brought in from another bakery. They commonly also offer a selection of coffees, soft drinks, and many may also sell alcoholic drinks. Many larger ''Konditorei'' also serve
ice cream
Ice cream is a sweetened frozen food typically eaten as a snack or dessert. It may be made from milk or cream and is flavoured with a sweetener, either sugar or an alternative, and a spice, such as cocoa or vanilla, or with fruit such as ...
and chocolates.
Apart from its typical menu, a ''Konditorei'' chiefly differs from a
restaurant in that opening hours tend to be morning and afternoon, rather than afternoon and evening.
Etymology
A ''Konditorei'' puts emphasis on the artistic aspect of the trade and, unlike a
bakery
A bakery is an establishment that produces and sells flour-based food baked in an oven such as bread, cookies, cakes, donuts, pastries, and pies. Some retail bakeries are also categorized as cafés, serving coffee and tea to customers who w ...
, does not produce
breads. The craft developed when particular bakers specialised in the creation of sweet bread to which candied fruits and other sweet ingredients were added. The origin of the word ''Konditor'' (the ''Konditorei''’s baker) stems from the Latin word ''candire'', which stands for “candying of fruits”. Another derivation is the Latin word ''conditura'' (condio) = to concoct (food), preservation (of fruits).
''Konditorei'' is the German word for a ''
pâtisserie
A () is a type of Italian, French or Belgian bakery that specializes in pastries and sweets, as well as a term for such food items. In some countries, it is a legally controlled title that may only be used by bakeries that employ a licensed ...
'' or confectionery shop. In
Sweden,
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the ...
and Denmark, the word is spelt ''konditori'' and the term ''konditor'' for a confectioner has been used since the beginning of the 18th century.
History and development of the ''Konditor''
''Lebkuchen''
The profession of the ''Konditor'' developed from that of the
baker. Once the bakers of medieval times (15th century) mastered the art of baking bread, some started to enrich the dough with honey, dried fruits and spices. These specialists called themselves Lebküchler, Lebküchner or Lebzelter. They founded a
guild
A guild ( ) is an association of artisans and merchants who oversee the practice of their craft/trade in a particular area. The earliest types of guild formed as organizations of tradesmen belonging to a professional association. They sometimes ...
in 1643 in the area in and around
Nürnberg, Germany. At the same time, the ''
Lebkuchen
(), or , are a honey-sweetened German cake molded cookie or bar cookie that has become part of Germany's Christmas traditions. It is similar to gingerbread.
Etymology
The etymology of ''Leb-'' in the term ''Lebkuchen'' is uncertain. Prop ...
'' bakers ran a second trade using wax, a side product of honey: they became chandlers, supplying churches and private households with artistic candles, wax figures and pictures made of wax. They carved wooden molds themselves and used these to pour magnificent pictures made of wax. A few Konditoreien practiced the sophisticated art of the chandlers until recent times. The Lebküchner were turned to confectioners later and finally became Konditoreien.
Sugar and spices
The maritime trade brought
spices
A spice is a seed, fruit, root, bark, or other plant substance primarily used for flavoring or coloring food. Spices are distinguished from herbs, which are the leaves, flowers, or stems of plants used for flavoring or as a garnish. Spices are ...
and
sugar from the
Eastern world
The Eastern world, also known as the East or historically the Orient, is an umbrella term for various cultures or social structures, nations and philosophical systems, which vary depending on the context. It most often includes at least ...
to the famous Italian harbor towns of
Genoa
Genoa ( ; it, Genova ; lij, Zêna ). is the capital of the Italian region of Liguria and the sixth-largest city in Italy. In 2015, 594,733 people lived within the city's administrative limits. As of the 2011 Italian census, the Province of ...
and
Venice
Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 bridges. The isla ...
. Although sugar had an immense appeal, only the rich were privileged to consume it. The profession of confectioner was related to that of the
pharmacist because the trade with sugar was exclusive to pharmacists. The German word “Konfekt” (English: confection) to describe sweets stems from the language of the drug makers, which were also called confectionari.
Production of marzipan
In the 14th century, the Venetians introduced
marzipan, a confection made from almonds, sugar and
rose water
Rose water ( fa, گلاب) is a flavoured water made by steeping rose petals in water. It is the hydrosol portion of the distillate of rose petals, a by-product of the production of rose oil for use in perfume. Rose water is also used to fla ...
, to central Europe. Marzipan was an ideal material for moulding magnificent pictures from, which were artistically painted with plant colouring and often decorated with
gold leaf.
Chocolate
At the start of the 19th century, chocolate first made its way to Germany, after the ladies of the upper classes in Spain, Italy and France had long been used to a daily cup of hot chocolate. When the Dutchman
Coenraad Johannes van Houten
Coenraad Johannes van Houten (15 March 1801 – 27 May 1887) was a Dutch chemist and chocolate maker known for the treatment of cocoa mass with alkaline salts to remove the bitter taste and make cocoa solids more water-soluble; the resulting pro ...
managed to press out the
cocoa mass
Chocolate liquor (cocoa liquor) is pure cocoa mass (cocoa paste) in solid or semi-solid form. Like the cocoa beans (nibs) from which it is produced, it contains both cocoa solids and cocoa butter in roughly equal proportion.
It is produced fr ...
, the additional ingredients
cocoa butter
Cocoa butter, also called theobroma oil, is a pale-yellow, edible fat extracted from the cocoa bean. It is used to make chocolate, as well as some ointments, toiletries, and pharmaceuticals. Cocoa butter has a cocoa flavor and aroma. Its mel ...
and
cocoa powder were created. The chocolate thinned with cocoa butter was used to pour a variety of figures, and painting cakes with cocoa powder became popular. The trade of the “Chocolatier”, a Konditor specialised in working with chocolate, was born. Chocolate now played a major role in the Konditorei. A good example is the chocolate cake created by
Franz Sacher
Franz Sacher (19 December 1816 – 11 March 1907) was an Austrian confectioner, best known as the inventor of the Sachertorte.
Biography
According to Sacher's son Eduard, in 1832 Austria's minister of foreign affairs, Prince Metternich, order ...
, who was the chocolate cook for
Klemens von Metternich in Vienna in 1832.
Pastries
The abundance of sugar through the native
sugar beet in the 19th century lead to the development of cakes and pastries, with focus taken off decorative art. Light
sponge cake
Sponge cake is a light cake made with egg whites, flour and sugar, sometimes leavened with baking powder. Some sponge cakes do not contain egg yolks, like angel food cake, but most of them do. Sponge cakes, leavened with beaten eggs, originated ...
s, almond pastries,
apple strudel
Apple strudel (german: Apfelstrudel; cz, štrúdl; Yiddish: שטרודל) is a traditional Viennese strudel, a popular pastry in Austria, Bavaria, the Czech Republic, Northern Italy, Slovenia, and other countries in Europe that once belonged to ...
or
milk-cream strudel
The milk-cream strudel (Viennese: ''Millirahmstrudel'', German: ''Milchrahmstrudel'') is a traditional Viennese strudel. It is a popular pastry in Austria and in many countries in Europe that once belonged to the Austro-Hungarian Empire (1867– ...
,
Gugelhupf
A Gugelhupf (also ''Kugelhupf'', ''Guglhupf'', ''Gugelhopf'', and, in France, ''kouglof'', ''kougelhof'', or ''kougelhopf'') is a cake traditionally baked in a distinctive ring pan, similar to Bundt cake, but leavened with baker's yeast.
Th ...
, and cream cakes were served with then modern drinks such as coffee, tea and chocolate.
Notable konditors
![Konditorei Zauner Buffet](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d0/Konditorei_Zauner_Buffet.jpg)
*
Nicolas Appert
Nicolas Appert (17 November 1749 – 1 June 1841) was the French inventor of airtight food preservation. Appert, known as the "father of Food Science", was a confectioner. Appert described his invention as a way "of conserving all kinds of food ...
, French inventor of food preservation
*, Munich baker and inventor of
Prinzregententorte
Prinzregententorte () is a Bavarian torte consisting of at least six, usually seven, thin layers of sponge cake interlaid with chocolate buttercream. The exterior is covered in a dark chocolate glaze. Prinzregententorte is very popular in Ba ...
* Johann Zauner (1803–1868)
* Anton Gerstner
* Christoph
Demel
* Ludwig Heiner
* Louis Lehmann
*
Wilhelm J. Sluka (1861–1932)
*
Anton Rumpelmayer (1832–1914)
*
Amaury Guichon
Amaury Guichon (born 15 March 1991) is a French-Swiss pastry chef. He is known for his pastry designs and chocolate sculptures.
Early life and training
Guichon was born to a Swiss mother and a French father and grew up on the Haute-Savoie ...
(* 1991)
*
Natalie Sideserf (* 1985)
See also
*
Bakery
A bakery is an establishment that produces and sells flour-based food baked in an oven such as bread, cookies, cakes, donuts, pastries, and pies. Some retail bakeries are also categorized as cafés, serving coffee and tea to customers who w ...
*
Coffeehouse
* ''
Schlagobers
''Schlagobers'' (''Whipped Cream''), Op. 70, is a ballet in two acts with a libretto and score by Richard Strauss. Composed in 1921–22, it was given its première at the Vienna State Opera on 9 May 1924.
Background
While serving as co-direc ...
'',
Richard Strauss' ballet, set in a konditorei
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
Types of coffeehouses and cafés
German words and phrases
German cuisine