A Konditorei is a business that typically offers a wide variety of pastries and typically also serves as a café. Konditoreien (plural) are found in many countries including but not limited to Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, Denmark, Sweden, and the Czech Republic. In French-speaking countries, similar businesses are referred to as pâtisseries.
The culture and function of the Konditorei may vary based on locations. 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.
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.[1][2]
Function
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 Konditoreien also serve ice cream 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, does not produce breadstuffs. 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), meaning to concoct (food) or preserve (fruits).[3]
Konditorei is the German word for a pâtisserie or confectionery shop. In Sweden, Norway and Denmark, the term konditori is used and the term konditor for a confectioner has been used since the beginning of the 18th century.[4]
In the Czech Republic, such shops are usually called cukrárna (sugar shop), while in Poland their equivalents are known as cukiernia (same meaning); both terms derive from a common Slavic root related to sugar (cukr, cukier), itself ultimately borrowed from Latin saccharum (via Greek σάκχαρον). A related Hungarian term is cukrászda, which, although formed within Hungarian, is based on cukor (“sugar”), a loanword of Slavic origin, combined with cukrász (“confectioner”), a term etymologically related (though not directly derived) to German Konditor.
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 in 1643 in the area in and around Nürnberg, Germany. At the same time, the Lebkuchen 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 and sugar from the Eastern world to the famous Italian harbor towns of Genoa and Venice. 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.
Notable konditors
- Nicolas Appert, French inventor of food preservation
- Heinrich Georg Erbshäuser, Munich baker and inventor of Prinzregententorte[5]
- Johann Zauner (1803–1868)
- Anton Gerstner
- Christoph Demel
- Ludwig Heiner
- Louis Lehmann
- Wilhelm J. Sluka (1861–1932)
- Anton Rumpelmayer (1832–1914)
- Amaury Guichon (* 1991)
- Natalie Sideserf (* 1985)
See also
- Bakery
- Coffeehouse
- Schlagobers, Richard Strauss' ballet, set in a konditorei
External links
References
- Berufs- und Brancheninfo: Konditor/in (Zuckerbäcker/in) www.wko.at, retrieved 22 July 2018^
- BIC.at - KonditorIn (ZuckerbäckerIn) (Lehrberuf) www.bic.at, retrieved 22 July 2018^
- Konditor www.dwds.de Etymological dictionary, retrieved 22 July 2018