One Of The Oldest Bakeries In The US Is Still Turning Out Treats Today

If you hear "historic Salem and tempting gingerbread," it's easy to fill in the blanks with a Hansel and Gretel joke, but that would be a mistake for two reasons. First, because the Salem here is Winston-Salem, North Carolina, not Salem, Massachusetts, of witch trial fame (and also home to some of the best cinnamon rolls in the U.S.). And second, the gingerbread is made at the Winkler Bakery, which has been feeding North Carolinians with the same recipe for over 200 years.

While every state has bakeries worth visiting, this one is a standout in North Carolina and beyond. Winkler Bakery was established by Christian Winkler, a Swiss immigrant and member of the Moravian Church, which initially built the bakery in 1799. Winkler and his family, which included his wife and six children, bought the bakery in 1807 and turned it into a success; the Winkler family would continue to play a role in its operations until 1926. Today, the Winkler Bakery still retains the traditional methods, including heating its oven with wood fires and serving up its thin, spicy gingerbread cookies in the same way that customers have loved since the 19th century.

Though the Winkler Bakery's treats are delicious, a bakery doesn't stay open for more than two centuries on the strength of its cookies alone, no matter how popular. One of the reasons it's such a special place is because it gives a taste of times and places long past but worth remembering. Winkler Bakery is currently owned by the Old Salem Museums & Gardens, a National Historic Landmark District with exhibits showcasing life in the Moravian religious community that founded the town, among other attractions. To help preserve those traditions, the Winkler Bakery still uses wood fires for its ovens, while the front-of-house employees wear historically accurate clothing.

The food made by the Winkler Bakery also pays tribute to its roots. The famous gingerbread cookies — which Google trend reports have named North Carolina's most-searched-for Christmas cookies (via Axios) — are a traditional Moravian style that's similar to lebkuchen, a traditional German cookie. If you get the chance to visit the bakery, you can try other traditional Moravian baked goods, including sugar cookies, cakes, and "lovefeast buns," which are served at the end of a Moravian Church service known as a lovefeast. If you can't make it to Old Salem, you can also buy Winkler's delicacies online, as well as mixes for baking Moravian treats; it might just be the recipe to kickstart your next holiday baking spree.