Who Invented the Pretzel?

November 25, 2015

The exact origin of the pretzel is unclear. One legend is that Italian monks in the 7th century gave soft pretzels to students because the twisted dough resembled crossed arms, the traditional posture used for prayer. During the Middle Ages, pretzels came to represent the Holy Trinity and became associated with good luck, long life, and prosperity.
 
In the 7th century, the Catholic Church imposed stricter rules on fasting for Lent. Pretzels became popular because they did not contain meat, dairy, or eggs and could therefore be eaten during Lent.
 
By the 17th century, pretzels began to be used during wedding ceremonies to seal the marriage bond. In Germany, children wore them around their necks for New Year’s to bring luck and prosperity.
 
It is rumored that the Pilgrims brought pretzels with them on the Mayflower. German immigrants definitely brought pretzels when they settled in Pennsylvania in 1710. Julius Sturgis opened the first commercial pretzel bakery in Lititz, Pennsylvania in 1861. He was also the first person to intentionally bake hard pretzels, which lasted longer than softer varieties and could be sold farther from the bakery.
 
In 1935, the Reading Pretzel Machinery Company introduced the first automated pretzel maker. It could produce 245 pretzels per minute. Today, 80 percent of the pretzels made in the United States come from Pennsylvania.

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