A pure blend of spices, each more fragrant than the last. The origins of gingerbread are lost in the mists of time. The recipe we use today comes from the Chinese cooks who passed it on to the Arabs, and it was from the Arabs that it reached us via the Crusaders in the Middle Ages. A long detour, but well worth it! Children love gingerbread cookies. And the spices to make them are not always easy to find. Here they are. Excellent in pancake batter!