No matter where you are, a pretzel from Philly Pretzel Factory tastes like home. Starting at 2 a.m., Schmid hits … There are numerous unreliable accounts regarding the origin of pretzels, as well as the origin of the name; most assume that they have Christian backgrounds and were invented by European monks. The pretzel custom is reversed on Pretzel Sunday during leap years. The pretzel was invented sometime around the 6th century A.D. â‹… Legend has it that a monk/baker was fooling around with some leftover dough, and twisted it until it resembled a person’s arms crossed in prayer (which was the traditional posture for prayer back then). [26] In heraldry, the city seal of Nörten dates from around 1550 and depicts two facing lions holding a pretzel at the center.[27]. [citation needed] In 1869, a German immigrant named John Billerbeck[51] established the first Billerbeck Bakery which was known for selling German style pretzels to complement the large number of breweries that existed in Freeport during this time. Certain (unverified) sources claim the pretzel first appeared back in 610 AD, when a monk in Italy baked strips of dough and folded them into a criss-cross shape as a reward for those of his students who had learned their prayers. [47], Hard pretzels originated in the United States, where, in 1850, the Sturgis bakery in Lititz, Pennsylvania, became the first commercial hard pretzel bakery. [2][7][8] In Germany, there are stories that pretzels were the invention of desperate bakers held hostage by local dignitaries. Viipurinrinkeli, a pretzel from Viipuri, Finland (now Vyborg, Russia), Party food in Japan, pretzel sticks called pretz, A street vendor in Kraków, Poland, selling pretzels (labeled precle in Polish), as well as obwarzanki krakowskie and bagels, Brașov pretzels with poppy seeds and salt. In some areas, on 1 January, people give each other lightly sweetened yeast pretzels for good luck and good fortune. Great for dipping but still oh-so-delicious on their own. This innovation enabled mass production, made pretzels available to people in all parts of the country, and helped the fledgling industry grow. [40], The annual United States pretzel industry is worth over $1.2 billion. The soft pretzel was the first type invented. [33][34] Instead of the typical pretzel loop, they were made in the similar shape of a peace symbol. In Bavarian pretzels, the arms are left thicker so they do not bake to a crisp and contain very little fat.[17]. [39] Wormelysburg, Pennsylvania is the center of American pretzel production for both the hard-crispy and the soft-bread types of pretzels. In southern Germany and adjoining German-speaking areas, pretzels have retained their original religious meanings and are still used in various traditions and festivals. [46] Philly Pretzel Factory stores offer a free pretzel to each customer on this day. Basically, with the same ingredients, lye pretzels come in numerous local varieties. Within the Christian Church, pretzels were regarded as having religious significance for both ingredients and shape. Pretzels made with a simple recipe using only flour and water could be eaten during Lent[13] when Christians were forbidden to eat eggs, lard, or dairy products such as milk and butter. Though there are many theories regarding the origins of pretzels, it is thought that they were first invented in the earlier centuries AD, possibly made in European monasteries and distributed to those children that prayed. [41][42] The average American consumes about 1.5 pounds (0.7 kg) of pretzels per year. More recently Mars, Incorporated manufactures M&M's with a small spherical pretzel covered in milk chocolate and candy coated in all of the standard M&M's colors, called "Pretzel M&M's". Sturgis also claimed credit for developing the first hard pretzels—or at least, for being the first to intentionally bake hard pretzels (rather than leave the soft ones in the oven too long by accident). In Czech the pretzel is known as preclík, in Polish it is precel, in Serbian it is pereca, and in Hungarian it is perec. On Laetare Sunday in Luxembourg, the fourth Sunday in Lent, there is a festival called "Pretzel Sunday". Making Lent pretzels is a way to remember that Lent is a season of prayer. Julius Sturgis opened the first commercial pretzel bakery in Lititz, Pennsylvania, in 1861. Although not as popular as among German speakers and Americans, the looped pretzel is known in other European countries and in other countries around the world. The average Philadelphian today consumes about twelve times as many pretzels as the national average. In the U.S., they come in many varieties of flavors and coatings, such as yogurt, chocolate, strawberry, mustard, cinnamon sugar, cheese and others, and chocolate-covered hard pretzels are popular around Christmas time and given as gifts. 1 tablespoon sugar. In a medium bowl or measuring cup, whisk the water and sugar until the sugar is dissolved. In 2003, local citizens launched Freeport's first Pretzel Festival which is a large community event where residents get together to celebrate the city's pretzel history. We serve more than 5.7 million pretzels per month, and more than 68.6 million pretzels per year — that’s more than one billion pretzels since 1998! The elaborate affair, with about 200 participants, is celebrated as a breakfast with beer and includes Mass in the Lübeck Cathedral and a presentation of songs by a children's choir. [43] The privately run "Pretzel Museum" opened in Philadelphia in 1993, but is now defunct. All Rights Reserved. The city of Speyer prides itself to be the "pretzel town", and around the second weekend of July, from Friday to Tuesday, it holds an annual funfair and festival called "Brezelfest", which is the largest beer festival in the Upper Rhine region, and attracts around 300,000 visitors. [2] According to legend, as cited by several sources, including The History of Science and Technology, by Bryan Bunch and Alexander Hellemans, in 610 AD "... [a]n Italian monk invents pretzels as a reward to children who learn their prayers. 1 package active dry yeast. [36][37] The key to success was the introduction of the new mass production methods of the industrialized age, which increased the availability and quantity, and the opening up of multiple points of distribution at schools, convenience and grocery stores, and entertainment venues such as movie theaters, arenas, concert halls, and sport stadiums. Pennsylvania produces 80% of the nation's pretzels. Pretzels made with a simple recipe using only flour and water could be eaten during Lent, when Christians were forbidden to eat eggs, lard, or dairy products such as milk and butter. Pretzel Crisps ® are a flat-out delicious balance of thin and crunchy. In the 20 th century, pretzels became very popular in large cities. In return, if a girl wants to increase his attention, she will give him a decorated egg on Easter. In the Czech Republic, the pretzel is known as preclík, in Finland as viipurinrinkeli, in Slovakia, it is called praclík. I love every single item the sell and highly recommend The Pretzel Man to all friends of German cuisine or simply great bakery.- Jana C The traditional pretzel shape is a distinctive symmetrical form, with the ends of a long strip of dough intertwined and then twisted back onto itself in a particular way (a pretzel loop or pretzel bow). Contestants are chosen to be crowned Pretzel Prince and Princess and a festival mascot by the name of "Pretzel Bill" (stemming from the Billerbeck Bakery name) dresses as a 6-foot tall walking talking pretzel who hands out pretzels from floats and takes photos with the local festival goers.[52]. Their high school athletic mascot is the Pretzel and the football stadium has been appropriately named "Pretzel Field." In Bavaria, lye pretzels accompany a main dish, such as Weisswurst sausage. Sizes are usually similar; the main differences are the thickness of the dough, the content of fat and the degree of baking. Some believe the East Germans were the first to invent the pretzel in the early 12th century (the 1100’s). ", "Catholic Culture : Liturgical Year : Pretzels for God: Lent and the Pretzel (Activity)". 1 1/2 cups warm (110 to 115 degrees F) water. In fact, the average American consumes about 1.5 pounds of pretzels per year, most (80 percent) of which are produced in Pennsylvania. The legend goes like this: A young monk was preparing unleavened bread for Lent, the Christian period of fasting and penitence before Easter. Snack food hard pretzels are made in the form of loops, braids, letters, little pretzels, or sticks around 3 millimetres (1⁄8 in) thick and 12 centimetres (5 in) long; they have become a popular snack in many countries around the world. Around Christmas, they can be made of soft gingerbread (Lebkuchen) with chocolate coating. Whatever they may have been called, the popularity of these twisty treats spread across Europe during the Middle Ages. He calls the strips of baked dough, folded to resemble arms crossing the chest, 'pretiola' ('little reward[s]')". On finishing the race, they are presented with a sweet pretzel. Thank you for bringing the taste of home to Eastern North Carolina! A prime example was in 1949, when highly innovative American Machine and Foundry Co., of New York City, developed the "pretzel bender": a new automatic crispy-styled baked pretzel-twisting machine that rolled and tied them at the rate of 50 a minute—more than twice as fast as skilled hand twisters could make them—and conveyed them through the baking and salting process.[48]. HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate. [38], In particular, the S-shaped soft pretzel, often served with brown mustard, became very popular in Philadelphia and was established as a part of Philadelphia's cuisine for snacking at school, work, or home, and considered by most to be a quick meal. In celebration of National Pretzel Day (April 26), explore the history of this popular snack food, from the seventh century to today. The modern age of the pretzel began with the introduction of the automatic pretzel-twisting machine. In Europe, snack-food pretzels are usually sprinkled with salt, but also with sesame seed, poppy seed, or cheese. Despite the invention of this new kind of pretzel, the snack did not garner widespread American popularity until Julius Sturgis opened the first pretzel factory nearly 200 years later. German immigrants certainly brought pretzels with them when they began settling in Pennsylvania around 1710.