Soak up the stories, visit a historic bakery (more than 200 years old!), sample goods fresh from the wood-burning oven and savor the flavors of the Moravian Cookie Trail: www.visitwinstonsalem.com/moraviancookietrail
"Visit Winston-Salem NC has launched an exclusive virtual culinary trail celebrating the city’s historic Moravian food roots. It’s a website and travel tool visitors can use to sample, learn and tour the home of “the world’s thinnest” cookies.
With more than 1.1 million pounds baked here each year, Winston-Salem, NC is the “epicenter of Moravian cookie production” according to Raleigh News & Observer food editor Andrea Weigl. While the first cookies featured ginger, clove and molasses, today’s flavors run the gamut, from traditional spice and black walnut offerings to pomegranate lime and espresso. The cookie is also exquisitely thin with some bakers dubbing it the "world's thinnest cookie."
The History
In 1753, the Moravians—a devout, German-speaking, Christian group originally from Eastern Europe—migrated to North Carolina due to its fertile soil, abundant water and temperate climate. They settled on more than 100,000 pristine acres in the heart of our current city known as the Wachovia Tract (yep, the bank was named after this same area). They brought their baking traditions with them and produced three iconic bakeries and a craving for ginger spice cookies.
Top Moravian Cookie Trail Destinations in Winston-Salem
1. Winkler Bakery at Old Salem Museums & Garden 521 S Main St, Winston-Salem, NC 27101; (336) 721-7302 http://www.oldsalem.org/winkler-bakery.html
More than 200 years old, Winkler Bakery features the original wood-fired dome oven that has baked breads, cakes and confections since it was built in 1800. Bakers in period costumes welcome visitors, offer samples, and make Moravian Sugar Cake and bread, too. (Because of the volume, today’s cookies are made in a larger bakery, offsite.) The Winkler cookie recipe sold today is adapted and updated from historic versions originally baked in the wood-fired oven. You can buy lots of cookies here.
2. Dewey’s Bakery www.deweys.com and www.deweys.com/about-us-locations Thruway Shopping Center and Reynolda Manor
A Winston-Salem original since 1930, Dewey's Bakery is a household name, especially during the Easter, wedding and holiday seasons. Visit their bakeries at 262 S Stratford Road at Thruway Shopping Center and 2820 Reynolda Road at Reynolda Manor. During the holidays, you’ll see pop-up locations spring into action across North Carolina to satisfy seasonal cravings.
3. Mrs. Hanes' Moravian Cookies (tours available) www.hanescookies.com 4643 Friedberg Church Rd, Clemmons, NC 27012; (336) 764-1402
Mrs. Hanes' Moravian Cookies is nestled in the rolling hills of Clemmons, a suburb of Winston-Salem. The public tours provide visitors the opportunity to see the family-run cookie company in action. “Artists in Aprons” hand roll, hand cut and hand package more than 110,000 pounds of dough each year. Oprah Winfrey named this delicacy one of her “favorites” in 2010. Make reservations for tours at www.hanescookies.com/hanes_cs/onsitetour.asp (Note: Tours are not available during the holiday season.)
4. Salem Kitchen, a gourmet gift shop, http://salemkitchen.com/ 50 Miller Street, Winston-Salem, NC 27104; (336) 722-1155
Salem Kitchen proudly carries Mrs. Hanes' Moravian Cookies. It’s the perfect stop before packing a picnic and heading out to visit a winery or one of our parks.
Restaurants with cookie creations are on the trail, too. We’ll be updating and changing this list frequently:
5. Milner’s American Southern www.milnerfood.com 630 South Stratford Road, Winston-Salem, NC 27103; (336) 768-2221
Order their signature Moravian Cookie and Pecan-Crusted Salmon served with sweet potato flapjacks, sautéed spinach, fennel slaw and vanilla bean beurre blanc. It’s always on the menu.
6. The Tavern at Old Salem http://thetaverninoldsalem.ws 736 South Main Street, Winston-Salem, NC 27101; (336) 722-1227
The Tavern at Old Salem serves up fresh Moravian cuisine and often sources their produce from the surrounding heirloom gardens of Old Salem. Cross your fingers they are serving homemade ice cream made with spicy ginger crumbs as a special or Chef Jared’s specialty menu item, Moravian-Cookie-Crusted Frenched Lamb Rack. This restaurant is located a few blocks down the street from Winkler Bakery at Old Salem Museums & Gardens.
7. Haute Chocolate http://bit.ly/HauteChoc 301 Brookstown Avenue, Suite 500, Winston-Salem NC 27101; (336) 653-9924
Buzz by the Twin City Hive where this chocolate shop is housed under the same roof as our local segway tour company. Enjoy coffee, baked goods and the handiwork of Haute Chocolate’s Jiliana Dulaney. Her Moravian Ginger Cookie Truffles are often a featured chocolate creation.
And a virtual visit you don’t want to miss:
Salem Baking Co. www.salembaking.com/ Visit them online and at displays in fine supermarkets and specialty stores across the United States.
You’ll find a trendy flavor profile with this label—everything from chocolate-dipped and chocolate-enrobed Moravian Cookies to the traditional Ginger Spice selections to Meyer lemon, key lime and more. Check out the video from Salem Baking Co. Executive Pastry Chef Alison Turner creating Moravian cookie pairings and appetizers you can prepare at home using their Moravian cookies. http://bit.ly/1cKMlqm Or try one of her recipes: http://www.salembaking.com/recipes/
Salem Baking Company was founded in 1992 when Dewey’s Bakery couldn’t fulfill increasing demand. Today, the company bakes and distributes more than a million pounds of Moravian cookies nationwide annually.
About Winston-Salem: Winston-Salem is the fifth largest city in North Carolina, located in the center of the Yadkin Valley wine appellation in the northwestern part of the state. Known as a City of Arts and Innovation (the first arts council in the U.S. Texas Pete Hot Sauce and Krispy Kreme started here), Winston-Salem is your Southern wake-up call, a feast for the thinking traveler. Learn more at www.VisitWinstonSalem.com or www.facebook.com/VisitWinstonSalem and Twitter@VisitWS."
A Press Release
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