Aachen Printen

Aachener Printen are a type of Lebkuchen, dense and spiced with a mixture that includes anise, cinnamon, cloves and coriander, pressed into carved moulds in their earlier form. They were sweetened with honey until the Napoleonic continental blockade cut supplies in the early nineteenth century, after which bakers switched to sugar beet syrup, which made them harder and gave the modern character; the change stuck. The name carries a protected geographical indication limiting production to Aachen and its immediate area. Varieties include plain hard Printen, softer ones and versions coated in chocolate or with nuts pressed in.

What you actually see

• The spice mix - anise, cinnamon, cloves and coriander in a dense dough.
• The syrup switch - a wartime blockade that changed the recipe permanently.
• The protected name - production limited to Aachen and its surroundings.
• The varieties - hard, soft, chocolate-coated and nut-pressed versions.

When to go

Year-round, though the season peaks before Christmas when bakeries produce most heavily. Historic bakeries in the old town sell them all year.

Honest expectations

The hard versions are genuinely hard and not to everyone's taste. Supermarket versions differ from bakery ones. They keep well, which is part of the design.

Nearby

Aachen cathedral is in the old town; the Belgian and Dutch borders are close.