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February 2006: The Twisted History of Pretzels
When I’m sitting around watching TV in the evening I often get hungry for a snack. That is probably no surprise for those readers familiar with my rotund physique. One of my favorite snacks is pretzels, maybe with a tasty dip. I prefer the little ones, kind of round and with sort of an X in the middle. They come in other shapes and sizes; circles, straight sticks, screw-like sticks, etc. Me, I stick with the traditional. Recently I found out that pretzels have significance historically.
The whole thing can be traced back to 610 AD. An anonymous monk in southern France or northern Italy, was making unleavened bread (that means no baking soda for you culinary challenged readers). He had some strips of it left over. Being a rather playful sort of monk he twisted the strips into various shapes. He liked best a pattern that looked like arms at prayer. At this time people prayed with their arms folded and hands resting on their chests. He baked a few, thinking it would be nice to give them to children for doing well in catechism class. He called them pritiola which means “little reward”. The kids loved them and they caught on. Adults liked them too, changing the name to “brachiota” which means “little arms”. The idea spread through Europe and the Germans made the final adjustment in the name by calling them bretzel or pretzel.
The little snack has often been associated with religion and often with health and prosperity. In Swabia there is a custom going back to the year 1480. On Shrove Tuesday, the day before the beginning of Lent, all the men who had been married in the past year were ducked in the city fountain. Then the dripping husbands participate in a parade ending in a feast of candy and pretzels. Elsewhere in Germany people celebrated with a feast of pretzels and eggs on Good Friday. On Easter parents would hide pretzels and eggs for their children to find. Forerunner of the modern Easter egg hunt.
In 1510 the pretzel helped change history. Vienna was under siege by the Turks. Vienna’s pretzel bakers worked at night. They heard the sounds of burrowing under ground and it was found that the Turks were digging a tunnel under the city’s wall. The discovery prevented the city from being taken. The emperor rewarded the pretzel bakers with a coat of arms featuring a shield decorated with a pretzel.
In Switzerland newly wed couples would wish over a pretzel, and then break it. The spouse with the biggest part would have their wish granted. Some believe this was the origin of “tying the knot”. Personally, I think that’s a bit far out.
Pretzels have often been given to the poor and even put in the coffin when someone was buried. Again, I personally think that’s a bit much. Pretzels may have come to America on the Mayflower, but we aren’t sure. We are sure they came to America with the Palatanate Germans. They settled in Pennsylvania, and their English neighbors called them “Pennsylvania Dutch”. They had numerous pretzel recipes.
Up till the late 17th century, pretzels were rather soft like the big ones they sell at the mall. One Pennsylvania baker fell asleep while baking a batch of pretzels. When he woke up he found the fire was almost out. He started the fire again to bake the pretzels longer. When he tried them later, they were hard and crusty. He was about to throw the whole batch out, when it came to him that though they were hard they were still tasty. He had discovered something that revolutionized the pretzel industry. For one thing they kept better than before. So these are the pretzels we eat today. Today, Pennsylvania is the pretzel capitol of the US.
So, next time you indulge in a fistful, recall the long history of the little treat.