Konditorei

Konditoreien (plural) are found in many countries including but not limited to Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, Denmark, Sweden, and the Czech Republic.

In Germany, Austria, Switzerland and several northern European countries, it is customary to consume a portion of cake with coffee or hot chocolate on the premises.

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.

The maritime trade brought spices and sugar from the Eastern world to the famous Italian harbor towns of Genoa and Venice.

The German word “Konfekt” (English: confection) to describe sweets stems from the language of the drug makers, which were also called confectionari.

In the 14th century, the Venetians introduced marzipan, a confection made from almonds, sugar and rose water, 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.