Lots of people have eaten gingerbread cookies—more than you might think! Gingerbread has been around a long time and has quite a history.
Ginger root originated in Southeast Asia, in the region that is now Indonesia and Malaysia. Starting around 5,000 years ago, it was used as a spice and a medicine, and sailors carried it with them in ships. These travelers spread the plant to China and India, where it was widely used. In the medieval period traders brought it