Hard pretzels were invented in 1861

Over the years, the pretzel emerged as a symbol of good luck, prosperity and spiritual fulfillment.

Bakery owner Julius Ferdinand Sturgis of Lititz, Pa., experienced “all of the above” when he developed the first hard pretzels in 1861. His “invention” was revolutionary, according to freelance journalist Sarah Pruitt of Portsmouth, N.H.

 

“The crispy snacks lasted longer in an airtight container, allowing them to be sold farther away from the bakery itself and to stay on shelves longer,” Pruitt said. “Eventually, hard pretzels would come to be arguably even more popular than their soft counterparts.”

“Until the 1930s, pretzels were still manufactured by hand. But in 1935, the Reading (Pa.) Pretzel Machinery Company introduced the first automated pretzel maker, which enabled bakers to put out 245 pretzels per minute, compared with the 40 per minute an individual worker could make by hand.” 

“Today, Pennsylvania remains the American pretzel-making capital, as a full 80% of U.S.-made pretzels come from the Keystone State,” Pruitt wrote.

The Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery is still open in Lititz, serving about 9,960 residents as well as loads of curious visitors. The bakery staff offers tours and provides hands-on experiences in rolling and twisting pretzels. Tasty pretzels and souvenirs are available in the gift shop area.

 

Pennsylvanians also eat the most pretzels, followed by folks from the neighboring states of Delaware, New Jersey and New York. Nationally, pretzels rank as the second most-popular salty snack, positioned between potato chips (#1) and popcorn (#3). 

The most popular U.S. brands of pretzels are Rold Gold, which originated in Philadelphia, and Snyder’s of Hanover, which began as a family bakery in Hanover, Pa.

 

(Rold Gold was acquired by Frito-Lay in 1961 and continues as a unit of PepsiCo. Snyder’s of Hanover merged with Lance Inc. in 2010, forming Snyder’s-Lance, based in Charlotte, N.C. Campbell Soup acquired Snyder’s-Lance in 2017.) 

Since 1983, National Pretzel Day has been observed annually on April 26. The idea originated with U.S. Rep. Robert S. Walker of Pennsylvania.

 

In 2004, Manayunk Park in Philadelphia was renamed “Pretzel Park.” It features pretzel-like looped pathways and a pretzel-shaped sculpture by Warren C. Holzman.

 

“The Pretzel” is a swing dance move that is best left for professional dancers to perform. Pretzels without salt are called “baldies.”

 

Freeport, a city in northwestern Illinois with a population of about 22,915, claims title to being America’s “Pretzel City,” as a tribute to German immigrant John Billerbeck, who established a pretzel bakery in town in 1869 (albeit eight years after Sturgis).

The Freeport community celebrates “pretzel festivals” on several occasions, often pairing the tasty snack with beer and wine. High school athletic teams proudly wear “Pretzels” on the front of their jerseys.

 

Don’t get them confused with the other high school team of “Pretzels,” who hail from the village of New Berlin, Ill., (population 1,340), located about 215 miles south of Freeport. The two schools once battled on the baseball diamond in 2015. Freeport traveled to New Berlin, and the visitors claimed a special pretzel trophy, winning 10-4. 

These are the only two high schools in the country with the nickname “Pretzels.”

 

Dr. Jeffrey Miller, an associate professor of hospitality management at Colorado State University, said: “Pretzels have long been thought of as the perfect accompaniment to beer. With the rise of the craft beer movement, artisan pretzel shops are opening up to give customers the opportunity to pair creative brews with funky pretzels.”

 

He has some ideas about beers and ales to go with honey mustard pretzels, bacon and cheddar pretzels and peanut butter pretzel nuggets.