Lebkuchen-Sulzen

This recipe is found in the 'Freywillig-auffgesprungener Granat-Apffel', a compendium of medicines, remedies, and seasoned culinary marvels prepared for the benefit of Christian households in late 17th-century Vienna. Compiled by Duchess Eleonora Maria Rosalia of Troppau and Jägerndorf, it showcases a blend of courtly taste and practical healing wisdom—where food was often medicine, and spice was a luxury and a cure in equal measure. 'Lebkuchen-Sulzen' is particularly intriguing, as it treats the beloved Lebkuchen not as a festive sweet, but rather as a savory spiced compote or mulled wine-thickened with bread. It stands at the crossroads of drinking and eating, speaking to both the opulence and the ingenuity of the Baroque-era kitchen.

In its original context, this recipe would have been prepared in a hearthside kitchen, utilizing large ceramic or copper pots for soaking and simmering. A sturdy knife or cleaver was essential for cutting the Lebkuchen, while a large earthenware mixing bowl or barrel accommodated the long soaking period. Straining would have been accomplished with linen cloths or fine wire sieves, and the mixture would be simmered over a wood fire, monitored with careful attention rather than timers or thermometers.