Leipziger Lerche
Encyclopedia
The Leipziger Lerche is a pastry of Leipzig
. The name originates from the singing bird lark
(German:Lerche) which was roasted with herbs and eggs or served as a filling in pastries. In the year 1720 alone, 400.000 of those bird were sold in Leipzig as a delicacy.
The hunt of the singing birds was officially banned by the saxonian
King Albert I
in 1876 after recognition of their agricultural importance. According to the Vienna Appetit-Lexikon, larks were still exported from Leipzig at the end of the 19th century. It is passed on that today's pastry replaced the traditional meat filled pastry.
Today's version consists of a shortcrust filled with a mixture of smashed almonds, nuts and a cherry. The cherry symbolises the heart of the bird. It is topped with a grid of two crossed dough strips. The term Leipziger Lerche is protected by the saxonian bakery guild since 2004.
Leipzig
Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
. The name originates from the singing bird lark
Lark
Larks are passerine birds of the family Alaudidae. All species occur in the Old World, and in northern and eastern Australia; only one, the Shore Lark, has spread to North America, where it is called the Horned Lark...
(German:Lerche) which was roasted with herbs and eggs or served as a filling in pastries. In the year 1720 alone, 400.000 of those bird were sold in Leipzig as a delicacy.
The hunt of the singing birds was officially banned by the saxonian
Saxony
The Free State of Saxony is a landlocked state of Germany, contingent with Brandenburg, Saxony Anhalt, Thuringia, Bavaria, the Czech Republic and Poland. It is the tenth-largest German state in area, with of Germany's sixteen states....
King Albert I
Albert of Saxony
Albert of Saxony may refer to:* Albert of Saxony * Albert I, Duke of Saxony * Albert, Duke of Saxony * Prince Albert of Saxony, Duke of Teschen * Albert of Saxony...
in 1876 after recognition of their agricultural importance. According to the Vienna Appetit-Lexikon, larks were still exported from Leipzig at the end of the 19th century. It is passed on that today's pastry replaced the traditional meat filled pastry.
Today's version consists of a shortcrust filled with a mixture of smashed almonds, nuts and a cherry. The cherry symbolises the heart of the bird. It is topped with a grid of two crossed dough strips. The term Leipziger Lerche is protected by the saxonian bakery guild since 2004.