Tasting Basler Leckerli at Basel’s Historic Jakob’s Basler Leckerly
Do you love tasting local foods as much as we do when you travel? One of our favorite things to do as slow travelers is finding businesses that define a community, especially when that business involves food.
Whether it’s a locally grown product, a tempting distillation, a unique way of cooking, or the tempting treat like the Basler Leckerli we had in Basel, Switzerland, local foods are the best!
And when that food involves sweet biscuits like Basler Leckerli, you just have to stop by for a tour and experience its unique history.
On our recent visit to Basel, Switzerland we were excited to try Basler Leckerli for the first time at Jakob’s Basler Leckerly, a specialty bakery in the heart of Old Town, and the oldest business still in operation in Basel, Switzerland.
What a treat, in more ways than one!
We had the chance to meet with the owner of Jakob’s Basler Leckerly, and learn all about this tasty German morsel which became one of Switzerland’s most beloved sweet treats.
About Basel Switzerland
Located in northern Switzerland directly on the border with France and Germany, Basel sits at the southern part of the Rhine River Valley before the Rhine turns east and flows between Germany and Switzerland.
Like much of Switzerland, Basel is an interesting blend of historic and modern, with an energetic, vibrant culture and entrepreneurial feel. It’s one of the reasons Switzerland is one of our favorite countries in Europe for slow travelers.
Historically, Basel shares the Alsacian culture from neighboring France and Germany so you’ll find lots of similar foods and cultural offerings. So it’s no surprise that the Basler Leckerli has German roots but has been “perfected” by the Swiss.
Getting to Basel is easy whether you’re flying in directly or taking the train. The international airport — the EuroAirport Basel Mulhouse Freiburg — is the only airport in the world shared by two countries, France and Switzerland.
Despite that, the airport is very small and easy to get around. From the airport then, you can catch the free public tram just outside to Old Town Basel.
You can also easily take the train to Basel from Colmar or Strasbourg, France and other points throughout Europe. Basel makes a great ending to any trip through Germany and France, which is what we did after spending a week of exploring Ribeauvillé, Riquewihr, and the quaint villages of Alsace in France.
Getting to Jakob’s Basler LEckerly in St. Johann
Located in Basel’s Old Town, getting to the St. Johann factory shop is super easy.
Whether you’re staying near the Bahnhof SBB, Basel’s central train station (we were staying at the Hotel Gaia just around the corner), or another neighborhood, you can catch the #11 tram from just about anywhere in the city.
The #11 tram stops a half block from the entrance to the store.
Different varieties of Basler Leckerli at Jakob’s Basler Leckerly
What is Basler Leckerli?
A Basler Leckerli, or Basler Läckerli in German, is a small rectangular biscuit that reminded us of soft gingerbread, although it’s not actually flavored with ginger at all.
The word Lecker in German means “delicious” and the Swiss “li” at the end means “little”, so the word leckerli means “little delicious”.
The spices used in the recipe are closely guarded, but the owner did disclose some of the main ingredients to us.
Leckerli are made from wheat flour, lots of honey, almonds and sometimes hazelnuts, sugar, and just the right amount of Kirsch (a type of regional brandy made from sour cherries). Some versions can have candied orange or lemon peel.
As for the rest of the ingredients—and here’s the hard part—you’ll have to try them for yourself and take your best guess.
Basler Leckerli are roasted, not baked, and if the treats are left in the oven for too long they become hard like Italian biscotti.
How thick the biscuits are made is at the discretion of the baker but at this shop they believe the thicker the biscuit, the higher the quality, and the better the texture and taste.
The entire process from start to finish takes seven hours.
Basler Leckerli can be plain, but most often they are coated with a light sugar glaze. Another version sold in the shop are completely coated with a thin layer of high quality dark cocoa and then sugar glazed.
After all, this is Switzerland!
The biscuits at Jakob’s Basler Leckerly are baked fresh everyday from the best ingredients available. They are cut and packed in various quantities by hand or can be bought prepackaged in the shop or by the kilogram.
While we were visiting, several customers came in and ordered just a few to go with their afternoon coffee.
One of several fun and interactive biscuit tins for sale at Jakob’s Basler Leckerly
Fun and Unique Gift Tins
It’s easy to see why the shop is so popular in this part of old town.
Perhaps equally as fun as the biscuits themselves are the delightful and interactive tins that Jakob’s designs to keep them fresh.
These fun, graphic keepsake tins not only illustrate the unique history of Jakob’s over its several hundred years of operation, but its playful sense of fun as well. One tin we chose for our biscuits highlights Basel’s hand-pulled river ferries, while another tins features the Basel Zoo with a Mama penguin and her chick that slides in and out of her pouch.
History of Jakob’s Basler Leckerly
Jacob’s Basler Leckerly is the oldest and most historic bakery producing the Leckerli, the traditional biscuit or cookie of Basel, Switzerland.
The original founding family started the small family business in 1753, which makes it not only the oldest operational business in Basel, but also one of the oldest surviving companies in Switzerland that is still going strong.
The original inventor of the Basler Leckerli is unknown and there are over 100 different recipes all claiming to be the original. However, documents show Jakob's Basler Leckerly is the oldest producer, and they still makes their honey treats using the original recipe of Johann Jakob Steiger (1736–1813), the previous owner of the company.
Today, the legacy of this heritage brand continues under the stewardship of Basel businessman and entrepreneur Andreas Kuster, who was looking to invest in his home town of Basel when he discovered the small bakery for sale.
The opportunity turned into a thriving business for him and his wife Charlotte, with the added benefit of continuing an authentic heritage of a generations-old beloved brand. They are only the fifth owners of this 270 year old business and have been successfully operating for the past seven years.
It’s wonderful to see the sense of pride Andreas and his team of 25 employees have for the brand. They do all of the production in the Old Town factory store (and most of it still by hand), and it is the only historical Leckerly factory still in existence.
What’s even more amazing is that the factory store is still housed here, in the midst of the modern city and not tucked away in a some quaint small village in Switzerland somewhere.
A visit there is a lovely reminder that some of life’s sweetest things are still made with love and care by hand!
Other Products
Volro
Recently Jakob’s Basler Leckerly has begun producing Volro, a thin round cracker made from whole grain and rye meal. The cracker was developed by Dr. Adolf Roos and Karl Jacob as a healthy children's food to help build strong teeth as they age.
The original advertising slogan “Anyone who chews their bread well as a child builds strong teeth for their old age” still holds true today. The crackers were good, but once again, we really loved the artwork!
They come is a Fleures des Alpes, caraway, and rosemary flavors.
Sustainability
To his credit, Andreas Kuster and his team of biscuit makers and marketers are committed to sustainable production practices through all stages of the supply chain, attempting to achieve environmentally and climate-conscious sourcing of all their ingredients.
Interestingly, the few machines used in production are 50+ years old and still carefully maintained.
With the participation of their employees in energy-saving practices and conversion to energy-saving lighting fixtures, the shop has reduced electricity consumption by over 10%. And to further reduce carbon emissions, deliveries within Basel and to the surrounding communities are done almost exclusively by bike courier.
Visit the Store
Old Town Basel is very walkable, so it’s easy to find your way to the Jakob’s shop when exploring Old Town to purchase some Leckerli.
Daily Tours:
There are daily public tours starting at 2:30pm for 25 CHF per person (you’ll get a 50% discount with the Basel Card).
Book online or call the shop directly to make your reservation.
Private group tours are offered Monday-Friday, but only by prior arrangement for 30 CHF per person with a minimum of 8 persons.
The tour lasts about 60 minutes and includes a historical overview of the development of the Basel Läckerli, a tour of the factory and a tasting of Läckerli recipes from three centuries.
At the end of the tour, you can prove yourself as a packer and pack your own small package of cookies.
No matter which tour you choose we guarantee you’re going to have to find room in your luggage to take enough home.
If You Go
Jakob’s Basler Leckerly Manufactory: St. Johanns, Vorstadt 47, Basel
Mon-Fri: 9am to 6 pm; Sat: 10am to 5pm
Jakob’s Basler Leckerly Shop: Spalenberg 26, Basel
Mon: 1pm to 6:30pm; Tues to Fri: 10am to 6:30pm; Sat: 10am to 5pm
Tours
The 1-hour tour includes a historical overview of the development of the Basler Läckerli, a factory tour, and a tasting of three centuries of Läckerli recipes.
Price: 25 CHF (Swiss Francs) per person