A Point of View

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A Point of View: A Plate of Pfeffernusse

07/05/2021

A Plate of Pfeffernusse

BBC Radio 4 - A Point of View, A Plate of Pfeffernusse

Zoe Strimpel on sugar's extraordinary power to bind generations.

Zoe Strimpel reflects on her faltering attempts to give up 'the white stuff'.

Zoe Strimpel explores our relationship with sugar - from the days of the 12th century chronicler William of Tyre when sugar was regarded as 'very necessary for the use and health of mankind' to the 'sugar is evil' attitude of today.  

And she reflects on sugar's power to bind generations together and keep history alive.  'My grandmother and I would often bond over a plate of pfeffernusse...  powdered gingerbread stuffed shapes from Germany', Zoe writes. 'Recipes for cakes - we are a family of women who love cake - were passed down on yellow, lined paper in stained scrapbooks and closely guarded'.

'And so here I am, 41, and still unable to give up the white stuff.'

Producer: Adele Armstrong 
Sound: Peter Bosher
Production coordinator: Gemma Ashman
Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith

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