Pretzel
Baked pastry shaped into a knot, with religious and cultural roots.
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 acquired through the Maillard reaction. Varieties include soft pretzels, which should be eaten shortly after preparation, and hard-baked pretzels, which have a long shelf life.
- earliest_depiction
- 12th-century illustration in the Hortus deliciarum from Alsace
- common_toppings
- Salt, mustard, cheeses, sugar, chocolate, cinnamon, seeds, nuts
- religious_significance
- Associated with Lent and Easter in Christian tradition
- guild_emblem
- Used as an 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, as well as the origin of the name; most state that they have Christian backgrounds and were invented by European monks. He rolled out strips of dough and crossed them to resemble two hands praying, and after baking, 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
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. 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 when Christians were forbidden to eat eggs, lard, or dairy products. As time passed, pretzels became associated with both Lent and Easter. The pretzel shape is used for a variety of sweet pastries, and 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 for good luck and Palm Sunday pretzels.
Did You Know?
- The earliest known depiction of a pretzel may be in a 12th-century illustration of the banquet of Queen Esther and King Ahasuerus in the Hortus deliciarum.
- In some areas, on 1 January, people give each other lightly sweetened yeast pretzels for good luck and good fortune.
- In Luxembourg, the fourth Sunday in Lent is called 'Pretzel Sunday', when boys give their girlfriends pretzels or cakes in pretzel form.
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