Pretzel
Baked pastry shaped into a knot, with religious and guild significance.
A pretzel is a type of baked pastry made from dough that is commonly shaped into a knot. 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. Salt is the most common seasoning, complementing the washing soda or lye treatment that gives pretzels their traditional skin and flavor. Varieties include soft pretzels, which should be eaten shortly after preparation, and hard-baked pretzels, which have a long shelf life.
- Origin stories
- Multiple accounts; most state Christian backgrounds and invention by European monks
- Earliest possible depiction
- 12th-century illustration in the Hortus deliciarum from Alsace
- Common seasoning
- Salt
- Other toppings
- Mustard, cheeses, sugar, chocolate, cinnamon, sweet glazing, seeds, nuts
- Regional stronghold
- Franconia and adjoining Upper German-speaking areas
- Religious association
- Lent and Easter
- Emblem use
- Emblem of bakers and their guilds in southern German areas since at least the 12th century
Lore & Background
There are numerous accounts regarding the origin of pretzels. Most state they have Christian backgrounds and were invented by European monks. According to some scholars, the most popular story is that the pretzel was made in 610 AD by an Italian monk who rolled out strips of dough and crossed them to resemble two hands praying, then handed them out as 'pretiola' (little rewards). Another source locates the invention in a monastery in southern France. In Germany, there are stories that pretzels were the invention of desperate bakers held hostage by local dignitaries. The German name 'Brezel' may derive from Latin bracellus (a medieval term for 'bracelet') or bracchiola ('little arms').
Reader's Guide
The pretzel has been in use as an emblem of bakers and their guilds in southern German areas since at least the 12th century. Within the Christian Church, pretzels were regarded as having religious significance for both ingredients and shape. Made with a simple recipe using only flour and water, they could be eaten during Lent when Christians were forbidden to eat eggs, lard, or dairy products. As time passed, pretzels became associated with both Lent and Easter. Pretzels were hidden on Easter morning just as eggs are hidden today. The loops in pretzels may have served a practical purpose: bakers could hang them on sticks. Pretzel baking has most firmly taken root in the region of Franconia and adjoining Upper German-speaking areas, and pretzels have been an integral part of German baking traditions for centuries. Lye pretzels are popular in southern Germany, Alsace, Austria, and German-speaking Switzerland as a variety of bread, a side dish or a snack, and come in many local varieties. In southern Germany and adjoining German-speaking areas, pretzels have retained their original religious meanings and are still used in various traditions and festivals, such as New Year's pretzels, Palm pretzels, and Pretzel Sunday in Luxembourg.
Did You Know?
- The most popular story claims the pretzel was made in 610 AD by an Italian monk as a 'little reward' for his students.
- A 12th-century illustration in the Hortus deliciarum from Alsace may contain the earliest depiction of a pretzel.
- In some areas, on 1 January, people give each other lightly sweetened yeast pretzels for good luck and good fortune.
- The loops in pretzels may have allowed bakers to hang them on sticks, as shown in a painting by Job Berckheyde from around 1681.
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